Water News
Alberta Water News is a free, subscription-based service that provides the latest information on water news across Alberta and upcoming events.
The news is distributed weekly on Mondays via a collated email and Monday to Friday via WaterPortal social media (X was Twitter). Please note that news will not be distributed on Holiday Mondays and will be released the following Tuesday.
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LNID’s farmers nearly out of water and hope for their crops this season
Global News
Before the 2023 water season, the Main Headworks Canal, located in the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID), was shut off so Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation could repair a liner that had been leaking for a few years. The district said when it was turned on in late-April, construction-related leaks were discovered extending the shutdown indefinitely, leaving farmers with just a fraction of their normal irrigation. Click here to continue reading
Compare and Contrast: River in ‘wettest place in England’ in Lake District almost completely dry
The Guardian
The upper River Derwent in Borrowdale in the Lake District – famous for its reputation as the wettest place in England – is almost completely dry, leading experts to warn of “disastrous conditions for wildlife”. Click here to continue reading
Klir unveils ChatGPT integration powered by Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI Service for its Unified Water Management Platform
Water Canada
Klir, the integrated water platform that helps the world’s water utilities make water safer, today announced the launch of its new generative AI capabilities now available though the latest iteration of its platform, Klir Comply. Using Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI service to provide access to powerful language models – including ChatGPT4 – Klir is the first-ever water management software powered by ChatGPT. Click here to continue reading
Rainy forecast not enough to reverse course on Alberta’s wildfire season, cautions meteorologist
CBC News
As rain falls in communities across Alberta Wednesday, federal meteorologists caution the incoming storms will not be enough to reverse course on a devastating wildfire season. Sara Hoffman, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the heavy rains forecasted in the days ahead will not dampen the wildfire risk for long. Meanwhile the incoming storms also bring the risk of high winds that could fan the flames of existing fires and lighting strikes that could ignite new ones. Click here to continue reading
Water restrictions in place in Wetaskiwin County
The Wetaskiwin Times
In addition to reinstating a fire ban, Wetaskiwin County has put in water restrictions in the communities of Cavallo Ridge, Sunset Harbour and Village Lane Condos until further notice. Click here to continue reading
St. Albert resumes regular water consumption after reservoir levels recover
Global News
The city of St. Albert, Alta., is returning to regular water consumption after its reservoirs were replenished Tuesday. The city had originally asked residents and business owners to conserve water Monday, saying that the reservoirs were at “near critical” levels, but they are now at “normal levels.” Click here to continue reading
‘It’s a mess’: Canal leaks causing problems for farmers
CTV News
Before the 2023 water season, contractors hired by Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation made repairs to Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) canal’s lining that had be leaking for several years. But after the repairs were made and the water turned on in April, it was discovered more leaks had been created by the repair work. Click here to continue reading
Canmore water ban lifted, Epcor fixing leaks
Global News
The ban on non-essential water use in Canmore and the surrounding area has been lifted, allowing residents to resume normal water use. On Wednesday afternoon, the Town of Canmore and Epcor thanked residents for complying with the ban that had been in place since Friday. Click here to continue reading
County of Stettler declares agricultural disaster
Red Deer Advocate
Because of an ongoing heat wave and light snowpack with no-run off, the County of Stettler has declared an agricultural disaster. In a release Wednesday, county council said due to drought-like conditions, they made the decision to make the declaration. The county is the first municipality to declare an agricultural disaster in Alberta this year, due to drought. Click here to continue reading
20% of Kherson remains underwater after dam breach, says UN
CBC News
A CBC News team is on the ground in the Kherson flood disaster zone in southern Ukraine, where floodwaters are receding, but much of the city remains underwater amid widespread ecological damage. Click here to continue reading