The parched grass and trees around Deerfoot Meadows are feeling the pain of Calgary’s ongoing watering restrictions.
From his smartphone, Darren Kovacs is able to see real-time soil conditions, which have reached their wilting point, meaning some trees and other plants could suffer irreversible damage.
“We’re starting to see some trees going into stress and plants going into stress,” said Kovacs, CEO of ExactET Systems Inc.
The situation with the soil and trees is getting critical, he said.
“A few more days of this weather if it doesn’t rain, you’re going to see a lot more deterioration of the landscape, which is extremely costly to our clients when they have to start replacing those landscaping assets,” he said.
Officials from the City of Calgary say stage three water restrictions will remain in place until at least Monday, meaning irrigation companies, like the one run by Kovacs, can’t get back to work.
Kovacs said his company provides clients with technology designed to measure moisture loss or gain on an hourly basis, eliminating waste by automatically adjusting the watering schedule for changing climatic conditions.
The technology will only water when necessary as opposed to using a timer.
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“Timers are like going to the gas station three days a week and putting $100 of fuel in your vehicle whether or not you drove that week,” Kovacs said. “That’s the difference between smart irrigation and traditional time-based.”
According to Kovacs’ estimates, Deerfoot Meadows has saved 80 million litres of water since IKEA installed the smart system in 2010.
Despite the efficiencies, irrigation system use has been banned since the City of Calgary’s outdoor watering restrictions went into effect more than one month ago. As a result, 10 out of 12 staff at Jetstream Irrigation have been out of work.
Under current stage three restrictions, watering cans or other containers can be used to tend to lawns, gardens, shrubs and other outdoor plants, but sprinklers or hoses aren’t allowed.
“The hardest part of the whole situation is our staff. They are unemployed,” said Kovacs, who is also president of Jetstream Irrigation.
“They haven’t worked since June 5 or June 6 and there are students who are earning an income to get through the school year.”
A massive feeder main carrying water from the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant broke on June 5 in the Montgomery neighbourhood of northwest Calgary.
In the weeks since the city has been relying on water from the South Glenmore Treatment Plant.
On Saturday, city officials said water demand dropped slightly on Friday to roughly 554 million litres, which was anticipated as the weather cools.
Francois Bouchart, the city’s director of capital priorities and investment, said in an update on Saturday that demand is being met with stage three watering restrictions in place.
Stage two restrictions would allow for more outdoor water use.
“This weekend, we are continuing to monitor and analyze our information to decide whether increasing the flow is possible or if we need to stay in stage three water restrictions for a longer period of time,” Bouchart said.
The city is expected to provide another update on Monday to announce if it is ready to lift its outdoor water ban, which has been in place since early June after a major water main burst.
Officials said the water flow through the pipe is a little more than half capacity, meaning it is full, but the water is moving through it more slowly.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is predicting temperatures to reach 33 C by Thursday.
With warmer weather ahead, Kovacs hopes restrictions can be lifted before the leaves on his trees start to fall.
— with files from The Canadian Press and Aaron Sousa, Global News
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