As of Tuesday, August 5, Halifax Water is asking customers, residents and businesses in the Halifax Regional Municipality to voluntarily conserve their water usage until further notice.
As of Thursday, August 14, water levels within our water supplies have moved into the watch phase.
Due to the recent prolonged low precipitation period, water levels within our supply areas have not been replenished. With no significant rainfall in the coming weeks, these levels will continue to lower.
To conserve water, Halifax Water is requesting that all customers and those who live or work within a building serviced by Halifax Water, follow voluntary water conservation measures until further notice. To confirm if you are impacted, please visit Where Does My Water Come From?
Although water levels are currently at the "Phase 2: Normal" they are at risk of quickly moving into the "Phase 3: Watch”. By reducing our water usage, we can help ease the demand on our lakes and reduce the need for mandatory water conservation measures.
Reducing water consumption and saving water has never been easier. Any number of the tips below can get you started on saving water inside and outside your home:
Conservation Inside Your Home
- Install low flow shower heads and appliances.
- Install a dual flush toilet.
- Regularly check for and repair any leaks.
- Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes.
- Take shorter showers by reducing your current shower time by a couple of minutes.
- Turning off the water while brushing your teeth.
- Fill the sink with water when shaving rather than allowing the water to run.
- Take frozen food out of the freezer early to allow time to thaw without running under water.
Conservation Outside
- Reduce or stop lawn, garden, plant watering or other outside water usage.
- Reduce or stop car/RV or other vehicle washing at home.
- Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets, and couplings.
- Leaks outside the house may not seem as bad since they are not as visible, but they can be just as wasteful as leaks inside. Check frequently and keep them drip-free.
- Catch rainwater in barrels for use later in your garden.
- Using mulch as a ground cover in flower beds.
- Sweeping driveways and walkways, never use water to clean driveways/walkways.
- Keep swimming pools covered when not in use.
- Turning off your hose when washing your car. Turn the hose on to rinse only.
- Allowing your lawn to go dormant (brown) during drought periods. It will recover after a good rainfall.
Residents who receive their drinking water from a source other than Halifax Water, such as private well systems, are not subject to voluntary water conservation measures from Halifax Water. However, with the recent prolonged dry weather residents who rely on private well systems for drinking water may wish to conserve water to mitigate the risk of wells running dry.
To find out more about where your water comes from, visit our interactive map.
The Province of Nova Scotia’s Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSDECC) is the authority on private well systems and has the following resources available for residents to refer to:
