Metro Vancouver tightens water restrictions as drought becomes new normal

Metro Vancouver’s water restrictions are tightening Friday, as the regional district looks to stem the impact of drought on its water supplies.

Under the increased restrictions, Stage 2 includes:

• A total ban on lawn watering
• Trees, shrubs, and flowers can be watered by hand or using soaker hoses or drip irrigation at any time, or by using a sprinkler between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. any day
• Vegetable gardens can be watered at any time
• Aesthetic water features, such as pools, and fountains, cannot be filled or topped up
• Washing surfaces like driveways and sidewalks is prohibited, except in limited circumstances

Joanna Eyqeum, the managing director of Climate-Resilient Infrastructure at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation within the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, says Canadians often think of themselves as being “water-rich,” given all the lakes and rivers.

However, the problem with that is we don’t put a high value on water, and she thinks it’s time we do.

“Extreme weather is going to increase in the future and I think we focus a lot on the flood risk… but also at the same time, we’re expecting more drought conditions as well, particularly in the Prairies and B.C. and those extremes we need to adjust to,” Eyquem said, who moved to Canada from the U.K.

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“I remember moving to Montreal and seeing people watering and cleaning their pavements with jet hoses, and being quite shocked, because obviously when water is scarce that’s not something that’s really acceptable,” she explained.

Eyquem adds one way to adjust to the changing climate is conservation — a message that’s echoed by the Metro Vancouver Regional District, which says usage since May is up 20 per cent year-over-year.

“I think it’s definitely a mindset shift. And placing a value on water, like a financial value. It’s not free. We are paying money to treat our water. It’s energy consumptive, but that value is not really reflected in our bills directly. We’re seeing that in many countries where water is more scarce,” she explained.

She wants improved management of water resources at the watershed scale.

“I think that’s very key for managing drought conditions. If we’re not managing our watersheds at the scale of their natural system, we don’t really have a hope of balancing water uses.”

Metro Vancouver says it usually delivers 1 billion litres of treated drinking water to Vancouver residents each day, but that number can increase by more than 50 per cent during the summer months, largely, which it says is due to lawn watering and “other outdoor uses.”

“Consistent above-average temperatures combined with high water demand have put extra pressure on the water supply,” said Malcolm Brodie, chair of the region’s water committee. “Water conservation is imperative, and everyone must do their part. The number one thing residents can do is reduce their outdoor water use.”

It’s unclear when the new restrictions may be lifted.

–With files from Mike Lloyd and Charlie Carey