Okotoks Mayor to address questions about water during live Q&A

Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn is holding an "All Things Water" Q&A this evening (April 10).

It comes after changes to the town's watering schedule and Water Shortage Response Plan recently approved by town council.

Thorn says a lot of questions have been cropping up, and she wants to provide locals with a chance to pose them to her directly.

"It's my attempt to allow the community to hear firsthand source and fact-based answers by providing the opportunity to ask those questions. There are lots of really legitimate questions in the community, people trying to understand. I want to provide the opportunity to ask those questions and for everybody to hear the answers from me."

People will be able to submit questions live, but people can also submit them ahead of time.

A recent Facebook post from the town garnered nearly 200 comments discussing the Water Bylaw changes, and there are some common concerns Thorn plans to address.

"There's genuine confusion around how water and growth are related, and that the outdoor watering schedule is there because we're growing. I want to be able to dispel that myth, the outdoor watering schedule is there regardless of whether we grow or not. It existed when we had a growth cap, it existed when the growth cap was removed, and it will exist when we connect the next pipeline. The outdoor watering schedule is not at all related to growth, it's about water management."

She's hoping to expand the conversation beyond just Okotoks, especially in light of the provincial government's efforts to conserve water across Alberta.

"I think this year, specifically, we really need to think beyond our own bubble. This drought is impacting Southern Alberta quite significantly. We've got other communities out there that are trucking water in already, they've been trucking it in for months. What are we going to do as a community to help support communities south of us? Because we're part of that whole watershed. For me, it's about thinking about broader than our own little bubble, how are we all going to contribute to managing through this drought so that every person still has drinking water, every business can still thrive, our farmers can deliver food to tables, and livestock can still survive. I'm not saying any of those things through a doom and gloom perspective, but we all need to do our part."

More information on the recent Water Bylaw changes can be seen on the town's website.

The Q&A is being streamed on Thorn's Facebook page at 7 p.m.