New watering rules will deal with summer demands

The strain on the water supply during peak-demand periods on summer mornings has prompted the Capital Regional District board to make changes to the watering restrictions schedule.

Effective May 1, a new overnight schedule will be in place for timed and automatic irrigation systems and during the day for public, institutional and community playing fields.

The CRD said there has been a high summer demand for water at 4 a.m., 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. on residential watering days, which can affect the water system’s ability to maintain adequate flow, pressure and quality standards.

The new allowable watering time for timed and automatic irrigation is from 12:01 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on established watering days. Lawns can be watered by other means than automated systems only from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The watering days are Wednesdays and Saturdays for even addresses, and Thursdays and Sundays for odd addresses.

Along with that, the new allowable water time for watering public, institutional or community playing fields is any day other than Wednesday — which will eliminate overlap with residential lawn watering days that have the largest peak demand.

“We continue to have ample water supply to meet the needs of the communities that are supplied drinking water by the Regional Water Service,” said Regional Water Supply Commission chair Gord Baird.

“Adding an overnight watering window under the bylaw and encouraging landowners and residents to switch timed irrigation systems to this new expanded window will help to better manage peak morning flows, reduce the possibility of turbidity events, and help alleviate impacts related to high demand due to heat events.”