THUNDER BAY — Rural residents who rely on dug wells for their drinking water may still have to replenish them this summer, despite this week's long-awaited dump of rain that drenched Thunder Bay and some nearby communities.
"When the rain comes down quick and all at once, it flows right into creeks and rivers, and doesn't really soak into the ground," Gillies Township resident Rebecca Crawford said on Tuesday.
Trees starved for a drink can also suck up rainfall before it migrates into ground water, she noted.
Crawford, who for 15 years has been providing water from a spring to rural customers in Gillies and beyond, said demand for her service has picked up in the last two years during drought-like conditions.
She noted that a 1,500-litre dump of water into a well doesn't last very long if a household is using more than 1,000 litres per day, as many Canadian households do. A single shower can use 25-40 litres alone.
Still, the rain that fell on Thunder Bay Monday and early Tuesday morning was welcome, given the extremely low amount the city got in May.
According to Environment Canada, Thunder Bay received 60 millimetres of rain over the duration of the storm, which had begun winding up a few days earlier in the southwestern U.S.
The city normally receives 80-85 mm for all of June. So far this month, it's received 68 mm, Environment Canada says.
Those who live near Thunder Bay can obtain water at fee-based filling stations operated by the city at three locations: Highway 61 (residential), Valley Street (residential) and Central Avenue (commercial). The city draws water from Lake Superior.
Crawford said she's found her customers have been looking at ways at conserving water over the last two dry summers, such as installing rainwater collection devices.
More rain showers are forecast for Thursday, according to Environment Canada's website.
