Managing Water Supplies in Port au Choix
Managing water supplies in a changing climate will be important for many communities.
In this Section
Managing Water Supplies in Port au Choix
Port au Choix on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland has a flourishing tourism industry and a world-class fish plant, both of which are key components of the local economy. During the summer of 2009, when both the Interpretation Centre and the local fish plant were operating near full capacity, critically low water supply levels were experienced.
The previous winter had been unusually warm with little snow and both the spring and summer had been unusually dry. Over time, with climate variability, events of this kind may occur more frequently. Although Port au Choix has limited freshwater sources to supply local demand, it is rare for these sources to drop to extremely low levels.
In this case, the town was faced with either closing the fish plant and rationing water for residents, or closing the Interpretation Centre, which was supplied with water from a separate system owned by Parks Canada. The Town decided to utilize Parks Canada's supply system, temporarily closing the Interpretation Centre. Fortunately, rain soon came and water levels rose.
In the wake of this close call, Port au Choix councilors and Parks Canada took steps to reduce their exposure to this threat in the future by:
- Fixing the leak in the current town water supply to maintain its maximum storage capacity
- Deepening the water intake in the supply pond for the Interpretation Centre so that a water source could be maintained during low water levels
- Exploring new sources of groundwater.
- Discussing alternate freshwater sources by, for example, partnering with a neighbouring community with a substantial water supply
More Case Studies
Case Study: Flood Risk Innovation in Badger
Case Study: Managing Water Supplies in Port au Choix