Okotoks should stop growing if it maxes out it current water license capacity and can’t expand its water supply, say a number of Okotoks residents.

The vast majority of residents asked by the Western Wheel over the past week said Okotoks should stop development at around 24,000 people if the Town can’t expand its license capacity to draw water from the Sheep River aquifer.

Okotoks resident Tammy Evans said it’s an unfortunate situation for the Town to be in, but the Town should stop growing once it maxes out its existing licenses.

“I like the cap and only because I like the fact Okotoks is still a fairly small community,” she said.

The Town is licensed to draw 608 million gallons per year from its wells near the Sheep River. In 2009, Okotoks used 580 million gallons of water. Under its current license capacity, the Town has enough water for between 24,000 to 24,500 people at a consumption rate of 70 gallons per person per day. In 2009, the Town’s water consumption was 71 gallons per person per day.

Town officials expect Okotoks to reach its license capacity in the next year as the 2009 municipal census results released in June put the Town’s population at 21,690.

The Town’s options are limited because of a moratorium against new licenses in the Bow River basin.

Okotoks municipal manager Rick Quail said the Town’s approach will be to look for new licenses to buy, lobby the provincial government to change the water license allocation system and, if needed, stop development.

Alberta Environment has also said the Town can tie into a regional water pipeline from Calgary or drill for ground water wells in Okotoks.

In an on-line poll on the Okotoks Western Wheel’s web site, the majority of respondents (75 per cent) say the Town should live within its existing water license capacity and cap growth at around 24,500 people. Twenty per cent say the Town should build a water pipeline to Calgary to serve additional growth and only five per cent say the Town should look to buy enough water licenses to reach the 30,000 population cap.

Evans said she would not support a pipeline from Calgary.

Okotoks resident Vishal Comar said the Town should continue to look at more ways to conserve and recycle water to reduce consumption. While the Town’s water rates are already based on a home’s consumption levels, he suggested making large water users pay more to encourage greater conservation.

While the Town could look to ground water, he said it’s ultimately not a good option because the Town could face similar supply problems in the future.

“Somewhere down the road, the same thing will happen,” he said.

Not all residents said growth should come to a halt.

Lauren Malmberg said the Town shouldn’t close the door to accessing water from the city.

“A pipeline is something they need to consider,” she said. “This isn’t a small town any more.”

She questioned how the Town found itself in this situation to begin with.

“I think they dug themselves into a hole, she said.

Travis Knapcick said the Town should look at a pipeline as part of plans to extend transit servicing out to the community.

“If they want to keep expanding, they should either buy more licenses or consider a pipeline,” he said.

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