Water capacity could be an issue as the Region of Waterloo’s population grows

The Region of Waterloo is sharing concerns about the water supply as the population continues to grow. CTV’s Colton Wiens reports.

The Region of Waterloo says there is water capacity issue in the Mannheim service area, which is made up of wells and pipes that serve most of Kitchener and Waterloo, as well as Woolwich Township and part of Wilmot Township.

The problem was identified when the region reviewed its water supply strategy.

At a new conference on Thursday afternoon, the region explained the Mannheim area doesn’t have enough water to support the community’s growth, as the population is expected to swell to one million people by 2051.

“There’s no concern for residents today,” Mathieu Goetzke, the acting CAO for the Region of Waterloo, said. “There’s no issue with the water quality. This is really strictly a quantity issue and looking at the growth.”

“It’s really about how do we phase the investments to be able to support that growth in the future,” he continued.

Goetzke said, right now, there is enough water in Mannheim and residents don’t have to change their consumption habits.

But he warned, the region will have to find other water resources to accommodate future growth.

Waterloo Region’s water system draws from 100 wells, as well as surface water from the Grand River. Groundwater makes up 75 to 80 per cent of its drinking water, while 20 to 25 per cent is taken from the Grand River.

The region is still determining how quickly it will need to move on finding new sources.

“We don’t have the path forward right now,” Goetzke said. “We’ve identified this kind of imbalance in terms of water capacity. So, we’re getting our minds wrapped around all this and trying to figure out what are the solutions, what are the things we need to expedite.”

There is a surplus of water in the Cambridge area, but the region said those wells can’t pump into the Mannheim area. Historically, reports showed the two had connected water services, but there is no way, right now, to get water between Cambridge and Mannheim.

“We would need something like a big pump to be able to bring things over,” Goetzke said. “We don’t have that today because these parts of the system were built together for a different growth, and growth has moved at different pace in these two different parts. So, it’s just about adapting the supply and the demand of these two different parts of the region.”

Without new sources of water, it could be a potential problem.

“It’s really about reprioritizing work,” Goetzke said, adding that the province might need to step in. “To help either with expediting some of the infrastructure, or finding some movers, or even just financing. Not necessarily funding but helping us through this.”

A third party is now reviewing the Region of Waterloo’s findings to confirm the extent of the issue.