The annual lawn sprinkling regulations take effect on Sunday, May 15 through Oct. 15 to help conserve and ensure an adequate supply of Metro Vancouver’s high-quality treated drinking water, noted a recent press release from Metro Vancouver.
“We learned many lessons from the drought last year, and we’ve been reviewing our Water Shortage Response Plan with input from residents and businesses to achieve our conservation objectives while mitigating impacts,” said Metro Vancouver board chairmain Greg Moore. “As a result, the lawn sprinkling regulations are commencing two weeks earlier this year and running two weeks longer because they have a profound positive impact in reducing consumption during the peak demand summer season.”
Moore noted that conservation programs like these regulations have resulted in about a 25 per cent decline in per capita water use in our region since 1993 even though our population has steadily increased.
“We are in a better position this year with respect to our water supply. As of late April, the snowpack on the north shore mountains was at approximately 60%, and both the Seymour and Capilano reservoirs are expected to be full going into June,” said Darrell Mussatto, chairman of Metro Vancouver’s Utilities Committee. “If everyone respects the sprinkling regulations, and many chose to simply let their lawns go dormant knowing they will green-up in the fall, we hope to meet our conservation targets without escalating restrictions.”
Under the lawn sprinkling regulations, watering lawns is permitted only in the morning. This avoids evening hours when demand for water is highest for domestic uses including dishwashing, laundry, and showers. These restrictions apply to lawn sprinkling only and not to watering flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. Local governments throughout Metro Vancouver enforce the lawn sprinkling regulations.
“With a growing population and uncertain climate change impacts, we should use our world class treated drinking water efficiently all year round,” added Mussatto.
On average, approximately one billion litres of water is used daily in Metro Vancouver. Historically, this quantity has increased to more than 1.5 billion litres daily during the summer.
“We’ve just launched a Grow Green website to help residents of all skill levels create and maintain sustainable gardens specially designed for our region’s climate and ecology. Whether you have a balcony, patio, yard or lawn, Grow Green will help you customize a garden specifically for your available space, and explains sustainability topics including water conservation,” he added.
“Increasingly, landscaping on public spaces by Metro Vancouver and local governments is designed with plants that require low amounts of water,” said Moore. “As we head into the summer of 2016, we encourage people to enjoy their flowers but not to waste treated drinking water on unnecessary outdoor aesthetic purposes. When indoors, use your appliances more efficiently by washing dishes and laundry only when there is a full load.”
Lawn Sprinkling Regulations For 2016
Residential:
• Even-numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns 4 a.m. - 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
• Odd-numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns 4 a.m. - 9 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday.
Non-residential:
• Even-numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. Monday and Wednesday
• Odd-numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday
• All non-residential addresses can also sprinkle 4 a.m. - 9 a.m. Friday.
Metro Vancouver’s website includes information and videos about the lawn sprinkling regulations and water conservation.
