The city has set higher new water conservation targets after Red Deer residents already met and are exceeding previous ones.
On Monday, city council unanimously passed new goals for water consumption, as advised by the Environmental Advisory Committee. The new potable water conservation target has now been adjusted to a 22 per cent decline by 2020 from the previous 15 per cent target, which was already met.
An adjustment was also made to targets for 2035. The city now aims to reducing water consumption by 30 per cent, from the previous 25 per cent target over the next 20 years.
As well, new targets were set for reducing water loss due to problems, such as leaking pipes. These align with the newly adopted Water Conservation and Efficiency and Productivity Plan.
Tom Marstaller, the city’s environmental planning supervisor, said there’s no cost-effective method currently available to municipalities for treating waste water to prevent pharmaceutical waste from ending up in the river.
City staff will also begin exploring how pharmaceutical waste in Red Deer River could be affecting the watershed.