September 18, 2025

Gray's Creek in South Glengarry

After meeting with its Water Response Team, the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) confirmed on September 18, 2025, that it was upgrading the RRCA jurisdiction’s Low Water status to Level 2 and encouraging local water users to voluntarily reduce their water consumption by 20 percent. The RRCA first declared a Level 1 Low Water status on August 12.

The move to Level 2 was prompted by data records indicating that, as of September 18, local precipitation for the past 3 months had fallen to approximately 60 percent of what the region normally receives this time of year. 

RRCA’s Water Response Team consists of local representatives from municipal and provincial governments and other interest-holders. The Team discussed reports of dry, private residential wells and observations of dried-up streams not typically dry this time of year.

To help the RRCA better understand the impacts of this year’s weather, residents experiencing difficulties with their own water supplies are invited to contact the RRCA through a brief online feedback form at rrca.on.ca/LowWater. Residents are encouraged to check their municipality’s website be aware of any municipal water conservation or fire bylaws in effect.

Whether they obtain their water from a private well or a municipal drinking water supply, residents, businesses, and farms can help conserve water through best practices such as:

• Repairing leaks in faucets or toilets.
• Using rain barrels to water gardens or lawns.
• Limiting or delaying non-essential tasks that consume significant water.
• Installing faucet aerators and toilet dams.
• Checking farm irrigation systems for leaks and irrigating closer to the evening to reduce evaporation loss.

The RRCA will continue to monitor stream flows and precipitation as part of the Ontario Low Water Response Program and will provide updates as conditions change. For more information visit rrca.on.ca/LowWater or contact (613) 938-3611 or info@rrca.on.ca.