Metro Vancouver Lawn Watering Regulations 2019
byIt’s that time of year! Even though there were plenty of April showers, Metro Vancouver’s lawn watering regulations will come into effect on Wednesday, May 1, and remain in place until October 15, in a concerted effort to conserve treated drinking water during the hot and dry summer months.
The Stage 1 regulations are being activated as part of Metro Vancouver’s Drinking Water Conservation Plan. Residents can water their lawn two mornings per week while watering trees, shrubs and flowers is limited to mornings only when using a sprinkler. An hour of rain or watering per week is all your lawn needs to remain healthy.
Metro Vancouver’s drinking water supply relies on snowpack, as well as cumulative precipitation to bolster the water levels in the three reservoirs that supply our drinking water.
Recent snowpack surveys conducted in the Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam watersheds in early April 2019 show snowpack levels are slightly lower than average for this time of year, but reservoir levels are expected to reach 100 per cent by June. Metro Vancouver’s three alpine lakes — Palisade, Burwell, and Loch Lomond – which are used as reserves for the Capilano and Seymour reservoirs in late summer, are also anticipated to be at full capacity by early summer.
Although the region’s population continues to grow, overall water demand has historically remained relatively steady, generally offset by conservation measures. However, overall consumption is increasing gradually as the effect of the rate of population growth on water demands begins to exceed the per capita water use reductions.
Metro Vancouver Lawn Watering Regulations 2019
Local governments throughout Metro Vancouver enforce the lawn watering restrictions through local bylaw regulations.
STAGE 1 RESIDENTIAL LAWN WATERING ALLOWED:
- Even-numbered addresses Wednesday, Saturday mornings 4:00am to 9:00am
- Odd-numbered addresses Thursday, Sunday mornings 4:00am to 9:00am
- Watering trees, shrubs and flowers is permitted any day, from 4:00am to 9:00am if using a sprinkler, or any time if hand watering or using drip irrigation. All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device.
STAGE 1 NON-RESIDENTIAL LAWN WATERING ALLOWED:
- Even-numbered addresses: Monday mornings, 1:00am to 6:00am and Friday mornings, 4:00am to 9:00am
- Odd-numbered addresses: Tuesday mornings, 1:00am to 6:00am and Friday mornings, 4:00am to 9:00am
- Watering trees, shrubs and flowers is permitted any day, from 1 am to 9 am if using a sprinkler, or any time if hand watering or using drip irrigation. All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device.
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