Even with recent rains, Morden's Mayor still encouraging mindful water use

Even with the recent rainfall over the past couple weeks, Morden's Mayor continues to encourages residents to be mindful of water usage. Based on the city's drought stage system, Lake Minnewasta is currently at "Normal" conditions. According to Mayor Nancy Penner, a little over a week ago, Lake Minnewasta was about nine inches below the top of the spillway.

"Even though we're in normal drought stage, we want to be good stewards of our water supply," shared Penner. "You have to remember not all the water in the lake is ours to use. Morden only has a license to use so much water."

She pointed to the fact demand increases will soon arrive, with temperatures warming up and outdoor activities ramping up.

"So if you're planning on filling your swimming pool, or some other yard projects that will require a large amount of water, now is a great time to get that done, before we get into the end of May and into June," she said. "That's when we'll start seeing those really hot days at the end of May and June, so we'll see a spike in demand for water. At the same time, our ag producers will be out spraying their crops, and that's the time when, generally, the community is outside. watering their gardens and their lawn."

The Mayor shared a reminder to water lawns in the morning, when temperatures are cooler and it gives plants plants time to absorb the water. If that isn't an option, she noted the second best time would be in the evening.

And sticking with Lake Minnewasta, the City will be trying something new this Summer regarding algae control at Lake Minnewasta. The water body typically sees algae build-up during the heat of July and August.

"We'll often get algae build up in the heat of the summer in July and August, and we're going to try some ultrasonic algae control," said Penner. "I won't get into the specifics, but that's something we're going to try. Not only will it improve the water quality for swimming, it will also help with the water treatment of the water, so when we treat it at the water treatment plant, it will improve not only the the taste, but the quality of the water we produce."

The concept was first proposed about two years ago by Deputy City Manager - Operations Santokh Randhawa. The science behind the provider's system is the ultrasonic algae control devices emit low-power ultrasound waves in the top water layer, generating a constant pressure cycle around the algal cells. This interferes with the algae’s buoyancy regulation, preventing them from accessing sunlight and nutrients. As a result, they can’t perform photosynthesis and sink to the bottom, where they decompose naturally without releasing harmful toxins. No aquatic organisms, animals, or humans are harmed in the process.