Claresholm town council sets fines for violating water restrictions

By Rob Vogt
People who violate the Town of Claresholm’s water restrictions will be subject to a $150 fine for a first offence and $250 for subsequent offences.
The decision came at the July 17 meeting of Claresholm town council after they heard a report from Abe Tinney, the town’s chief administrative officer.
He explained that in 2020 the Town of Claresholm and the Municipal District of Willow Creek retained MPE Engineering to prepare a water shortage response plan to submit to Alberta Environment as an attachment to existing, ongoing and future Water Act applications.
Developing the water shortage response plan was a requirement of Alberta Environment, before the Claresholm golf course and M.D. received licences to divert water from the Pine Coulee Reservoir.
The water shortage response plan has four user groups – residential, commercial, public institutional and agricultural. The water shortage response plan implements strategies to reduce water demand throughout various stages for those user groups. In general, watering days are reduced and there is no watering between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., unless a user group’s activity states otherwise in the water shortage response plan.
“We are currently mobilizing that plan due to low water levels in Pine Coulee,” Tinney said.
He explained Alberta Environment was releasing water from Pine Coulee because they have demands from irrigation users, and they have water flows they need to maintain in Willow Creek for those users.
However, Tinney said, Alberta Environment will reach a point where they will stop releasing water into Willow Creek to conserve water for municipal purposes.
That level, he continued, is 1,044 metres.
“We’ll be there in a few days,” Tinney said, adding at that point no more water will be released into Willow Creek and the rest of the water in Pine Coulee is reserved for municipal purposes.
Tinney said the town is heading into Stage 3 of water restrictions, and the town has been notifying the public to conserve water primarily on non-essential water uses.
He went on to say the town is actively meeting with the M.D., the town’s engineers, and the provincial government on how to implement the stages of water conservation as the water level dips.
“We’re actively monitoring it and working through it,” Tinney said. “And we will be communicating with the public every step of the way.”
He noted fines are attached to the water and sewer bylaw for contravention of water restrictions. It was $500 for the first offence then $2,000 for following offences.
Tinney said administration felt these fines were too punitive for violating the water shortage response plan.
They proposed $150 for a first offence and $250 for subsequent offences.
“We feel that’s still an adequate fine structure,” Tinney said.
Coun. Rod Kettles said he appreciated the work done by administration but wondered if they needed three levels with a warning first then a fine.
Coun. Kandice Meister also wondered about levels.
In the end, council agreed to $150 for a first offence for contravening the water shortage response plan and $250 for subsequent offences.
All of council voted in favour of the revised fines except Coun. Kieth Carlson who was opposed.