Water management: Chelsea limits watering and will bill for excess consumption

As part of its commitment to Quebec’s drinking water conservation strategy, the Municipality of Chelsea is announcing new measures aimed at achieving the provincial target of reducing drinking water use by 20% and better distributing the water consumption load at its plant. These measures include amending the by-law to encourage water conservation and billing for excess consumption.

Reduced watering frequency allowed

Following the amendment of the By-law establishing measures for the conservation of drinking water, here are the changes to keep in mind.

• The mechanical and automatic watering schedule for a lawn will be reduced to once a week from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. The permitted day will be:
  • Tuesday for occupants of dwellings with addresses ending in 0, 1 or 2
  • Wednesday for occupants of dwellings with addresses ending in 3, 4 or 5
  • Thursday for occupants of dwellings with addresses ending in 6 or 7
  • Friday for occupants of dwellings with addresses ending in 8 or 9
     
• Mechanical and automatic watering schedules for gardens, shrubs and trees remain unchanged, with the exception of the hours allowed, which are now from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., one hour longer than before.

Introduction of a billing for excess consumption

With a view to the sustainable management of its resources, the Municipality is implementing a new measure to encourage responsible drinking water use. This measure includes residents and businesses connected to the water and sewer system.

Following the upgrade of residential water meters in the centre-village in 2023, the Municipality now has the necessary data to bill based on actual consumption. From now on, any annual consumption exceeding 260 cubic meters per residential unit will result in a special bill at the end of the year. To enable residents to monitor their consumption and modify their habits, if necessary, a statement showing their average consumption will be sent mid-year, well in advance of the final billing statement.

Businesses, for their part, will be billed if they exceed the quantity of water allowed according to the number of units allocated.

This proactive approach will not only reward more efficient water use but will also enable the Municipality to use the amounts collected to reduce water-related taxes, to the benefit of all system users.

In 2023, the Municipality's estimated water consumption was 358 L/person/day, compared with the Quebec average of 253 L/person/day. The target under the drinking water conservation strategy is 184 L/person/day.