A decrease in water demand has led the City of Ottawa to cancel a $260-million project to expand two water treatment plants.

The city's planning and environment committee passed a motion on Tuesday to cancel the expansion of the Britannia and Robert O. Pickard plants.

The plants were supposed to be expanded within the next ten years.

City staff say the expansions are no longer necessary because of a decrease in water demand.

Staff say water consumption is down because residents are watering their lawns less frequently and using low-flow toilets.

They say people have generally become more concerned about the need to conserve water over the past few years.

The city says its focus on water conservation will now shift to high-volume users such as apartment buildings.

For that reason, the committee is recommending that the low-flow toilet rebate program for homeowners be discontinued.