The Metro Vancouver Regional District will only allow residents to water their lawns once a week, instead of twice, in the warmer months in the wake of B.C.’s record-breaking heat wave last summer.
“This challenging event, during which we were confronted with the urgency of the climate emergency, highlighted the need to further reduce consumption of water,” said Sav Dhaliwal, chair of Metro Vancouver’s board of directors, in a news release on Monday.
For almost two weeks last summer, daytime highs across the province sat 15 to 25 degrees above normal in what meteorologists called a “heat dome,” which in some cases caused severe drought.
“Just one hour of rain or watering per week is all a lawn needs to remain healthy,” said Malcom Brodie, chair of Metro Vancouver’s water committee.
The regulations, coming into effect on May 1, will go as follows:
Stage 1 residential lawn watering allowed:
- Even-numbered addresses: Saturdays — automatic watering between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., and manual watering between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Odd-numbered addresses: Sundays — automatic watering between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., and manual watering between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Trees, shrubs, and flowers can be watered with a sprinkler any day between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., or anytime by hand or using drip irrigation.
Stage 1 non-residential lawn watering allowed:
- Even-numbered addresses: Mondays — automatic watering between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., and manual watering between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Odd-numbered addresses: Tuesdays — automatic watering between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., and manual watering between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Trees, shrubs and flowers can be watered with a sprinkler any day between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., or anytime by hand or using drip irrigation.
Watering lawns will not be allowed at all, should the regional district move to Stage 2 regulations.
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