Winter is coming to an end and the peak season for outdoor water use is on the horizon. Are you prepared? Join Steve McKinnon, Water Compliance Coordinator at the Region of Halton, where you will learn: • The importance of having an outdoor water use management program • Best practices to ensure the implementation of an effective outdoor water use management program • Progressive tactics to manage peak summer water demand

1. Outdoor Water Use
Management Strategy
2012
Steve McKinnon
Halton Region
1

2. Purpose
Provide a brief overview of the development and
implementation of Halton Region’s Outdoor
Water Use Management Strategy and to discuss
communication and technical challenges
2

3. Halton Region
• Located on the shores of Lake Ontario
• Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton
Hills
• Over 475,000 people
3

4. Halton’s Water
Treatment Facilities
• Three Well based systems
• Three lake based systems
4

5. 2007- A dry year
• One of the driest years in recent memory
• Halton imposes water restrictions
• Communication difficulties
• Monitoring of Drinking Water Systems limited
Need for structured Outdoor Water
Use Management Program
realization
5

6. Goal
The Outdoor Water Use Management Strategy
provides a structured approach for the promotion
and implementation of outdoor water use
conservation measures with a goal of ensuring a
reliable supply of potable water to Halton
residents for emergency and essential needs.
6

7. Consideration
• 4 local Municipalities
• 1 Regional Municipality
• 6 Separate drinking water systems
• Lake and ground water based
7

8. Considerations
• Each system has different limitations due to size
and either lake or ground water based
• 5 major communities
• Geographic size
• Communication limitations
8

9. Consult and Analyze
• Consult with operational staff
• Consult with Management
• Consult with Councilors
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10. Tactics
The strategy incorporates a number of tactics
to manage peak summer water demand:
1. Outdoor Water Restrictions
2. Water Use Education/Communication
3. Water Restriction Enforcement
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11. Outdoor Water Restrictions
System by System Monitoring Triggers
• Operational Status - System specific consumption,
plant production, pumping rates and reservoir levels
• Aquifer levels – individual wells (under review)
• Ontario Low Water Response status
• Weather Forecast
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12. Outdoor Water Restrictions
System by System
• Triggers developed
• Fire protection
• Sustained levels of production, storage
• Weather forecast
• Storage and production capabilities of each system
• Similar thought process for ending a restriction
• Advance warning
• One comprehensive report
• Calculated and sent daily by e.SCADA.r
• Weekly report sent to management
12

13. Production in M3/ Day
4/
2
4/ /2 01
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
22,000
24,000
26,000
28,000
30,000
32,000
0
4/ 9/2 1
1 0
4/ 6/2011
2
4/ 3/2 11
30 01
5/ /2011
5/ 7/2 1
1 0
5/ 4/2011
2
5/ 1/2011
28 1
1
6/ /201
6/ 24/ 1
1 0
6/ 1/2011
1 1
6/ 8/20 1
25 1
1
7/ /201
2/ 1
7/ 2 0
7/ 9/2 11
1 0
Date
7/ 6/2011
2
7/ 3/2 11
30 01
8/ /2011
8/ 6/2 1
1 0
8/ 3/2011
2
8/ 0/2011
27 1
1
Daily Trends
Georgetown Production
9/ /201
9/ 23/ 1
1 0
9/ 0/2011
1 1
9/ 7/20 1
2
10 4/2011
/1 11
/2
01
1
Annual Running
Average Maximum
85% of Production
70% of Production
Production in M3/Day
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14. Daily Trends
Georgetown Storage
100
90
80
% of Available Storage
70
Max Storage
60
Min Storage
50
75% Storage
40 65% Storage
30
20
10
0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 01201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201201
2/ 9/ 6/ 3/ 0/ 7/ 4/ 1/ 8/ 4/ 1/ 8/ 5/ 2/ 9/ 6/ 3/ 0/ 6/ 3/ 0/ 7/ 3/ 0/ 7/ 4/ 1/
4/ 4/ 4/1 4/2 4/3 5/ 5/1 5/2 5/2 6/ 6/1 6/1 6/2 7/ 7/ 7/1 7/2 7/3 8/ 8/1 8/2 8/2 9/ 9/1 9/1 9/2 10/
Date
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15. Outdoor Water Use Activity Levels
• Colour coded outdoor water use levels
• Stoplight methodology
• Ease of communication
• Similar to other Municipalities
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16. Blue Yellow Red
Activity Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Careful Use Limited Use Reduce and Stop
Voluntary OddEven Watering: Mandatory OddEven Watering:
Odd House Number: Odd House Number:
Water on odd calendar days between 6-9 am Water only on odd calendar days between 6-
Lawn Watering & 6-9pm 9am &6-9pm Not Allowed
Even House Number: Even House Number:
Water on even calendar days between 6-9 Water only on even calendar days between 6-9
am & 6- 9 pm am & 6-9 pm
Allowed as needed until sod has
Allowed as needed until sod has been Allowed as needed until sod has been
Watering newly planted sod or been established.
established. established.
seed Regular lawn watering rules apply
Regular lawn watering rules apply thereafter Regular lawn watering rules apply thereafter
thereafter
By hand held watering device only:
Odd House Number:
Water only on odd calendar days
Watering Trees, Shrubs, Flowers By hand held watering device only (i.e.
Allowed between 6-9am & 6-9 pm
or Gardens watering can, bucket)
Even House Number:
Water only on even calendar days
between 6-9 am & 6- 9 pm
Recreational Sprinklers and
Allowed Allowed Allowed
Splash Pads for Children
Recreational Sports Fields Allowed Allowed Not Allowed
OddEven filling only
Odd House Number:
Filling Residential Swimming and Fill only on odd calendar days
Wading Pools, Hot Tubs, Allowed Allowed between 6-9 am & 6-9 pm
Garden ponds or Fountains Even House Number:
Fill only on even calendar days
between 6-9 am & 6-9 pm
Decorative fountains Must recirculate water Must recirculate water Must recirculate water
Odd House Number:
Wash only on odd calendar days between 6-9
Washing Cars (residential) or
am & 6-9 pm
exterior of Building (i.e. home, Allowed Not Allowed
Even House Number:
shed)
Wash only on even calendar days between 6-9
am & 6-9 pm
16

17. Water Use
Education/Communication
• EducationAwareness of program
• Compliance in early stages may minimize chance of full
restrictions
• Comprehensive communication plan
• Communication plan outlines tools and tactics
• Promotional partnerships
• Effective partnering will help convey message to
residents
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18. Communication Limitation
• Web PageAccess Halton
• Radio/Television
• Media Releases and newspaper advertisements
• Direct Mail Flyer
• Outdoor portable and permanent signage
• E-mail alerts
• Community Emergency Notification Service
• Partnership Opportunities
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19. When time is a factor
Immediate Response Seven days or more
Mobile Signs Newspapers
CENS Billboards
Web Page Direct Mail Flyer
E-Mail Alerts Partnership
Opportunities
Radio/Television
19

20. Mobile Signs
20

21. Web Page
www.halton.ca
21

22. Direct Mail/Flyer
• Effective in communicating overall
message and as a reminder
• Effective in communicating to a target
audience, i.e. Georgetown
• Can be used both as an insert or handout
22

23. Direct Mail FlyerHandout
23

24. Advertisement
• Newspaper
• Brochure
• Billboards
24

25. Advertisement
• Newspaper
• Brochure
• Billboards
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26. Partnership Opportunities
• Water Efficiency programs
• Community events
• Industry
26

27. Contest
• 2010 Partnered with Sheridan Nurseries
• Prizing directed toward water efficient gardens
• Over 1500 entries – 2011
• Converge in local papers
27

28. 28

29. Irrigation Sector
• Very little information on the irrigation industry in Ontario: number of
systems, average size
• Research has shown that many systems are not optimized for water
efficiency
• Over water
• Currently finishing pilot study quantifying potential water savings and
market penetration through irrigation system optimization
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30. Enforcement Practices
• Discretionary approach
• Education and outreach are primary
focus
• Review of fines
• Comprehensive
• Dedicated staff – Summer Students
30

31. Assessment
Communications
• Website analysis
• Monitoring of non-compliance – Increase in
phone calls to Access Halton – 311
• Over 300 inquires in 2011 compared to half
that in 2010
• Spike during dry periods
31

32. Assessment
Summer Peak Demand vs Total
Production
• 2011 - Driest July in years
• Did not require water restriction
• Summer Peak Demand was paired back
• Total summer production still high
• Quantitative study
• Base flow
• Yearly average
• Weather
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33. Assessment
Residential Survey
• Over 600 participants
• All sectors of Halton
• Results
The Good
– Over half have heard about our program
– 6 out of 10 report the program has had a “very” to
“somewhat” significant effect on household water
use
– Over all support for the program is very good
33

34. Assessment
Residential Survey
The Not So Good
– Water Conservation is only a medium –
level priority
– Costs associated with water conservation
and effect on one’s way of life are still a
hindrance to change
– Few residents can recall specifics such as
animals or slogan
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35. Outcome
• One formal strategy
• Council Approved
• Living document
• System by system or entire municipality restrictions
• One concentrated effort
• One communication plan
• Developed yearly
• Assessment program
35

36. Work in Progress
• Halton is growing
• Demand on drinking water system is
growing
• Conservation movement growing
36

37. What lies ahead
• Program will explore new modes of communication
– Social Media
• Work more closely with community groups
• Use results of survey in development of 2012 ad
campaign
• Work more closely with industry
• Continue to listen, ask and learn
37

38. Thank You
Steve McKinnon
Water Compliance Coordinator
Halton Region
(905) 825-6000 Ext. 7150
steve.mckinnon@halton.ca
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