Halifax Water says voluntary conservation remains despite recent rain

It may seem the Halifax area has been receiving a lot of rain as of late, but Halifax Water says it’s going to take more than that to make up for this summer’s drought.

Brittany Smith, Communications and Public Affairs advisor for Halifax Water, told CityNews the precipitation is helpful, but voluntary conservation measures are still in effect.

“We’re assessing every rain or any type of precipitation we may be receiving,” Smith said. “We’re really needing snow this winter to bring levels back up over the winter and precipitation into the spring, so we’re not in the same situation next year.”

Smith also says reports of a strange taste and smell to the water in the North End and in the downtown Dartmouth area are not unusual and not harmful.

Geosmin, a naturally occurring compound in Pockwock Lake, first discovered in 2012, sometimes evokes an unpleasant taste or smell, but she says water remains safe to drink.

Smith says a slice of lemon in the water can help.

Dry summer across Nova Scotia

Officials said the deep drought in Atlantic Canada created water supply issues and underlying concerns about crop conditions and wildfires.

The national outlook shows large pockets of extreme drought appeared across Atlantic Canada in the end of August. About 71 per cent of the country was experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions as of the end of August, like in July.

Agri-climate specialist Trevor Hadwen with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says August was one of the driest months on record for Atlantic Canada, the country’s biggest area of concern.

He says large crop losses and extreme impacts on the blueberry harvest have been recorded there.