Metro Vancouver water consumption still high despite conservation requests

Folks in Metro Vancouver are using too much water.

That’s the takeaway from the Metro Vancouver Regional District, which says its latest figures shows that, despite calls to conserve and reduce water consumption, use has kept climbing.

On Friday, the regional district said water consumption continues to be about 20 per cent higher this year, than the same time in 2022.

“I think it’s just a matter of more hot weather and more water usage. I don’t think it’s any more than that,” water committee chair Malcolm Brodie told CityNews.

Water consumption peaked at 1.5 billion litres on Wednesday, July 5 — a day when people were not supposed to water lawns.

The chart shows daily water consumption for May, June and July 2023 (red) compared to the same period for 2022. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

“The Stage 1 watering restrictions are currently in place, limiting lawn watering to one day per week — Saturday or Sunday, depending on your house number,” the region said. “Over the years, lawn watering restrictions have had a significant positive impact on reducing water demand during the summer when water consumption increases by 50 per cent or more due mostly to lawn watering.”

“Notwithstanding that other parts of this province have a worse drought situation than we do in the Metro Vancouver area, it’s a situation that takes real care and consideration. So the feeling is that we’ll be okay if people can conserve the water, then we’ll get through it and into the fall,” Brodie said.

The regional district is doubling down on its ask for folks to stick to stage 1 restrictions, and only water lawns once per week on their designated days.

“Successful conservation across the region will help us continue delivering drinking water to where it is needed the most – for drinking, cooking, and cleaning – and will reduce the likelihood of having to activate Stage 2 of the Drinking Water Conservation Plan, where lawn watering is banned,” it said.

“Metro Vancouver continues to experience unseasonably warm and dry weather since the end of April 2023, with very minimal precipitation. Although reservoir levels are still within the normal range for this time of year, the short-term weather forecast is showing a continuing trend of warm, dry weather for the region,” it continued.

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The district says the average daily high temperature for the reporting period was 26 degrees, adding zero precipitation was measured at Vancouver International Airport in that time.

“It’s the best drinking water in the world and so let’s not go wasting it,” Brodie said. “Cut back on your water usage. Everything from cutting back on the lawns and the gardens to the showers and to the homeowner usage of the water. If all of us cut back just a bit, you multiply that by a couple of million times, it really can make a difference.”

The region’s water update comes as drought conditions for much of British Columbia have worsened over the last week, according to the B.C. River Forecast Centre.

The centre says as of July 19, 74 river streamflow stations were at record lows, up from 71 just a week earlier.

The province increased the drought level to level 5 in three regions of B.C., including the South Peace, Parsnip, and Upper Fraser — West.

Almost a quarter of the province is now at level 5, the highest ranking of a six-level drought system that starts at zero. Level 5 signals that “adverse impacts to socio-economic or ecosystem values are almost certain.”