Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Region of Waterloo is looking at allocating $400,000 in its 2027 budget for further water conversation measures due to water constraints that have limited construction in the southern Ontario region.
A report considered by a special council meeting last Thursday asked for the funding, with Amy Shaw, director of water and wastewater operations, telling council that it would support steps “that council can give direction on today, but do not represent the full picture of proposed efforts.”
The region is looking to expand existing conservation programs for homes, institutions and businesses by offering additional water conservation incentives and increasing home reviews.
Staff has also recommended a review of the region’s water conservation bylaw to consider gradual restrictions on outdoor water use.
The Region of Waterloo since January has faced severe water capacity constraints within the Mannheim Service Area, which encompasses Kitchener, Waterloo and parts of Cambridge, that forced a temporary halt on all new development approvals.
The water supply system faces a technical bottleneck where the wells are at full capacity, and increasing river draw is limited by the need to protect downstream ecosystems. The region put a pause on approving permits for new construction that would require more demand for water.
The pause has left thousands of residential and commercial units in the planning stage with Kenneth Brothers, the region’s interim water commissioner, saying there still is not enough water to allow all development.
“We still don’t have all the water that we need to go into full development, but there may be some partial development that may be able to move forward,” he told reporters last week.
The region had approved lifting the development permit freeze on new schools, childcare and religious institutions as well as residential, commercial and institutional development where there is no additional water demand.
