Bypassing Level 2, Quinte Conservation and the Low Water Response Team declared a Level 3 Low Water Condition September 3 due to lack of rainfall and low flows in area rivers and streams.

Level 3 is the most severe low water level. In a statement, Quinte Conservation Water Resources Manager Christine Phillibert said due to much lower-than-normal precipitation totals over the course of the summer, monthly average streamflows in the Moira, Napanee, and Salmon Rivers are less than 30 percent of normal for the typical lowest flow month.

“We need a significant amount of rain to change that,” Ms. Phillibert said, adding some rivers in the Quinte Conservation Catchment area are experiencing the lowest flows since 2016.

A Level 3 Low Water Condition indicates a failure of the water supply to meet demand.

As part of the Level 3 Low Water Condition declaration, Quinte Conservation will be communicating with its 18 municipalities and requesting they ask residents and businesses to reduce water usage by 30 percent until the supply is replenished.

Reduce Usage

Reducing water use by that much means residents must examine how they are using their water. Residents are asked to consider halting lawn watering in an effort to conserve water. Other large uses of water in the average home are toilets, showers, and laundry. Drinking water and food preparation only make up about five per cent of the water used in an average home.

Tips on water conservation can be found on the Quinte Conservation’s drought information webpage.

Quinte Conservation Authority announced a Level 1 Low Water Condition for all of Prince Edward County as well as the regions of the Moira, Napanee, and Salmon Rivers on August 14, noting there has been less than 80 percent of normal precipitation across the Quinte watershed over the last 90 days.

Quinte Conservation operates upwards of 40 dams within the watershed and are attempting to maintain a minimal flow in the rivers to support local ecosystems.

These include the Upper Arden Dam, Second Depot Lake Dam and Third Depot Lake Dam.

Quinte Conservation has stopped generating hydroelectric power at the McLeod Dam due to low flows in the Moira River.

This warning will be in effect until (or updated before) October 22, 2025.