Latest news with #waterrestrictions

Regina, Moose Jaw lift voluntary water restrictions as plant upgrades continue

CBC

2 days ago

Business
CBC

Regina, Moose Jaw lift voluntary water restrictions as plant upgrades continue

Social Sharing The cities of Regina and Moose Jaw have lifted their voluntary water restrictions as of Monday. On Thursday, both cities asked resident to limit their water use. The restrictions were put in place due to ongoing upgrades at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, which supplies drinking water to both cities. Both cities confirmed in news releases Monday that residents and businesses may now return to normal water consumption. Services like street sweeping and the operation of spray pads are also resuming. "The City sincerely thanks residents and businesses for their cooperation in conserving water during this time," the City of Regina said in a press release. "Their efforts helped reduce the City's water use while critical upgrades were underway." While the restrictions are no longer in effect, Regina is encouraging people to continue conserving water where possible. The Buffalo Pound upgrade project is expected to wrap up in 2026. In the meantime, the city says it will keep monitoring water usage and is prepared to use emergency wells if needed.

Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected

The Sun

5 days ago

Business
The Sun

Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected

MILLIONS of Brits could face water restrictions after a drought was declared in part of the country with the dry conditions seeing a 'lost village' re-emerge. The Environment Agency has imposed a drought status on the north-west of England after it has experienced the driest start to spring for 69 years. 6 6 6 Groundwater levels and river flows have been declining caused by the dry conditions in March, April and early May. Storage levels in reservoirs in the region have also been receding and are currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years. There are currently no hose pipe bans in force in any part of the UK but earlier this month the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies. Water companies are responsible for imposing any water restrictions, such as a hose pipe ban, which can restrict water usage. Companies can enforce a Temporary Use Ban using the guidelines set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. These bans can restrict or prohibit activities like watering gardens and washing cars. A water authority can bring in a ban if it believes it is experiencing, or may experience, a serious shortage of water for distribution across a certain area. However, the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 does not define what is meant by a "serious shortage". The agency has put a drought plan in place to deal with the dry weather, and to regulate United Utilities in order to "make the best use of available water whilst also protecting the environment". A spokesperson for United Utilities, which supplies water to millions of people in the North West, said demand had reduced due to the water-saving measures done by its customers, along with the recent rainfall and milder temperatures. The arid conditions have seen what remains of the 'lost village' of Mardale Green in the Lake District re-emerge. Those who lived there were forced to leave when the village was flooded on September 15, 1935, but due to the dry conditions, the remnants of the place can now be seen after the water level receded. The rain that has fallen in recent days is not enough to reverse the dry start to the year and the further expected hot conditions in the coming weeks is likely to just exacerbate the situation, the Environment Agency says. The recent bank holiday weekend was a washout for most Brits as the weather took a marked downturn. In light of the drought status, the regulator has increased their operational response and ensured water companies step up their actions as laid out in their drought plans. This includes fixing leaks, communicating with customers and supporting them to reduce demand, and submitting drought permits to take more water, as needed. If these measures are taken in a timely manner it is expected to help preserve supplies for homes and the environment. While the North West has seen a dry start to the year, it is a mixed picture for other parts of the England. A meeting of the National Drought Group, comprising the Environment Agency and Defra ministers, is due to be held on June 5 to assess the situation across the country. Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. 'As we see more impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. 'This poses an enormous challenge over the next few decades. 'Despite the rain over the weekend levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period. 'With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement our Drought Plan.' Defra has also announced today that the Environment Secretary was stepping in to speed up delivery for the first two major reservoirs since the 1990s as part of the government's action to secure the water supply. Mardale Green and the neighbouring village of Measand were submerged in order to create one of the UK's largest reservoirs, which is known as Haweswater Reservoir. The aim was for it to supply Manchester with water for 100 years. It's creation meant hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes. What is a drought? There is no one single definition of a drought which is used by Defra although the most obvious is that it is a period of low rainfall. However, the nature, timing and the impact it has on people, the environment, agriculture or business can vary. Some droughts can be short and intense, triggered by a hot and dry summer. Others can be much longer, taking time to develop over a number of seasons, caused by low amounts of rainfall. The main types of drought, according to Defra, which may occur separately or together are: Agricultural drought – when there isn't enough rainfall and moisture in soils to support crop production or farming practices such as spray irrigation. Environmental drought – when lack of rainfall has a detrimental impact on the environment and ecology. Water supply drought – when a lack of rainfall leads to concerns from water companies about supplies for their customers. The Environment Agency will monitor a number of indicators – including rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels, reservoir storage, ecology, public water supplies - and will decide the level of drought an area is in. Defra uses four stages to describe and manage any response: Prolonged dry weather – this period is characterised as the early stages of drought where we find there has been a period of dry weather and this is impacting on river flows, groundwater levels and water levels in lakes and reservoirs. Drought Severe drought Recovering from drought. It also meant 97 bodies had to be dug up and reburied in a graveyard in the nearby Shap. Mardale Church, which had seating for 50 people, held its last service in August 1935, with the Bishop of Carlisle leading the proceedings. The service was packed out and hundreds of others were forced to wait outside. Parts of the church can still be seen today when the water level drops. The local pub, the Dun Bull Inn, along with houses and farms were demolished to make way for the reservoir. The inn made a name for itself due to its hot buttered rum. It was popular with the locals as it was used by famers and hunters in the area to host fairs, dances, feasts as well as sales. Not everyone was happy with the village being destroyed as renowned fell walker Alfred Wainwright protested the move, having visited Mardale Green in 1930. He described the destruction of the village as 'the rape of Mardale'. The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022. 6 6 6

One of two water wells in Hildale City back online after repairs

Yahoo

6 days ago

General
Yahoo

One of two water wells in Hildale City back online after repairs

HILDALE, Utah () — Hildale City announced Thursday that one of two water wells that went offline after failing two days ago has been repaired. This comes after the city announced on Tuesday May 27 that two of the city's water wells failed, advising residents to only use 'culinary water for drinking and indoor use.' One well has been repaired, but the other well remains offline as of Thursday. Hildale Mayor Donia Jessop said in an interview with that the tanks that supply the wells are recovering, and the city has been able to move into Stage 2 Water Restrictions, which includes limiting outdoor watering to every other night. Jessop said that the city will keep these restrictions in place until the other well is repaired. In terms of water restrictions, Jessop told that it is fairly common for the city to have some sort of restriction in place. She added that the city has been working to avoid having any restrictions, but that issues like these can change city plans rapidly. 'I always tell people, it's like when you're driving your car down the road and the tire blows,' Jessop said. 'You did everything to make sure your car was in good repair and going down the road, but your tire blows, so you have to pull over and fix it. That's essentially what happened.' Joseph DeGolyer and MJ Jewkes contributed to this story. Car crosses median, causing multiple vehicle crash in Kaysville/Farmington One of two water wells in Hildale City back online after repairs Pride flag raising ceremony kicks of 2025 Utah Pride festivities Intermountain Health first in nation to expand stem cell collection for CAR-T Cell Therapy bringing innovative cancer procedure to Southern Utah Kaladharaa Dance shares Indian culture in Utah through vibrant performances Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.