Metro Vancouver staff concerned unseasonably dry weather will continue moving forward

Although t-shirt and shorts weather is great two weeks into October, staff at the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD) are worried about the drought level the region has been experiencing.

So much so, that Metro Vancouver has extended watering restrictions to conserve drinking water due to the unseasonably hot and dry conditions this fall.

Stage 1 water restrictions were meant to end Oct. 15, but now will remain in place until at least the end of the month.

Heidi Walsh, director of watersheds and environment at the MVRD says staff has started to notice a shift.

“The trends we’re seeing now indicate that longer, hotter, dryer fall’s is going to be the norm in the future,” Walsh told CityNews.

Adding water reservoirs haven’t been where they’ve needed to be going into the fall.

But she also says, climate scientists are predicting fall won’t be the only season that sees change.

“Longer, wetter springs and then certainly longer, dryer, hotter summers that extend out into the fall.”

She points to earlier this year when Metro Vancouver saw one of the wettest Mays and June on record.

“Those little blips and changes are becoming more common, and really what we’re seeing is that the intensity of a single event is going up.”

Related Articles:

• Strong winds fan B.C. wildfire flames as more temperature records fall

• B.C.’s ongoing drought impacting crop harvests

Most of the Lower Mainland is currently in drought level 5, the highest of the drought levels.

Changes from the 2021 restrictions limited watering of lawns to once per week this year. The regional district estimates that lawn watering accounts for as much as half of the seasonal increase in residential water use.

Residential watering is only allowed on Saturdays at even-numbered addresses and Sundays at odd-numbered addresses.

People who set sprinkler timers can set them to water automatically between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.

Between 6 and 9 a.m., you can water your plants by hand.

Each of the cities that make up Metro Vancouver is responsible for making sure the rules are followed.

In the City of Vancouver, if you break the rules, you can get a $250 fine. The fine for people in Surrey is $200, while the fine for people in Burnaby is $150.

The rules don’t apply to edible plants.

The MVRD website says the region only uses 40 percent of its indoor water use for toilets, faucets, showers, and appliances.

The other 60 percent is used outdoors, which is one reason why conservation efforts focus on outdoor water use.