Halifax businesses work around water conservation request

Some Nova Scotia businesses are scaling back water use amid dry weather.

Some businesses in the Halifax area who rely on water are facing a unique challenge.

On Tuesday, Halifax Water asked residents to conserve water due to ongoing dry conditions.

Water levels within the municipality supply areas have not been replenished and little rain is in the forecast.

Janet’s Flower Shop in Dartmouth is just one business dealing with the tricky situation.

“We rely heavily on water. Day to day…we have a lot of plants…so they’re watered once a week, depending on the plants,” says Chris Doucette, a floral designer at the shop.

Doucette says they will continue to take precautions and are already conserving water.

“We can make sure that the plants are kept in the cooler at night,” she says. “They use a lot less water if they’re out in the heat.

“We’re not going to stand there with the tap running or we’re just basically going to make sure that there’s a container under at all times, because as long as there’s container under it, then we still have the water, so we can use it for something else.”

It’s a different story for businesses like Splashifax in Hammonds Plains, which is thankful to not have to rely on well water to keep things afloat.

“Because we (have) inflatables on the water, we don’t actually need to use water,” says Zachary Kerr, a supervisor at the splash pad. “We’re not too concerned.”

Doucette says if the situation turns dire, or if conservation request becomes mandatory, that may be a concern.

“Hopefully that isn’t the case…however, like everybody, we’re all concerned about fire and other things that could happen,” she says.

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