Over the weekend, Naples was added to the list of locations where water restrictions would be enacted until further notice. The expanded restrictions cover towns in Ontario and Wayne County, which are fed by Canandaigua Lake.
In a statement released by officials from Canandaigua, the City announced that they would be initiating water conservation measures effectively immediately.
The statement was released after the level of Canandaigua Lake dipped below mandatory conservation levels. The drop means that more than 60,000 people will have to conserve water for the foreseeable future.
The statement read:
The level of Canandaigua Lake has reached the action level of 1.00 feet below the guide curve for the past three days. Under the Proposed Drought Water Use and Lake Level Management Strategy (DMS) included in the most recent City of Canandaigua water withdrawal permit application, this lake level calls for the initiation of water conservation measures in the service area of the City of Canandaigua water treatment plant. The DMS calls for these conservation measures to remain in place until the lake level has recovered to be less than 1.00 feet below the winter low level, so the actual water surface elevation that equals being 1.00 feet below the guide curve is changing each day also. The City of Canandaigua checks the water surface elevation each day and will regularly update all interested parties of the level and its effect on these water conservation measures.
As of this date the use of potable water supplied by the City of Canandaigua water treatment plant for the following activities is prohibited until this notice is specifically rescinded.
- Irrigation
- Private (at home) vehicle washing
- Filling of swimming pools
Further, all water users within the City of Canandaigua water treatment plant’s service area are asked to reduce their water usage as much as possible through common sense water conservation methods. Small acts of water conservation, multiplied by the approximately 39,000 people living in the water treatment plant’s service area, add up to substantial water savings that will help Canandaigua Lake recover from the drought as quickly as possible.
This notice will be disseminated to the municipalities and agencies that purchase water from the City’s water plant. These are: Town of Canandaigua, Town of Bristol, Town of Hopewell, Town of Farmington, Town of Manchester, Village of Manchester, Town of East Bloomfield, Wayne County Water Authority, and the Canandaigua Ventran’s Hospital. An additional 30,000 people receive water from Canandaigua Lake via other treatment plants in Newark, Palmyra, Gorham, Rushville, and Middlesex. This notice has been shared with these other systems also.
