Residents in Parksville and in the Regional District of Nanaimo will be required to conserve more water next month.
Starting May 1, customers of the nine RDN Water Service Areas will begin following Stage 2 watering restrictions. The City of Parksville is also imposing this restriction next month.
This means sprinkling can occur only on even days for even-numbered houses and on odd days for odd-numbered houses. Sprinkling is permitted for a maximum of two hours between 7 a.m.-10 a.m. or 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
Incremental or staged watering restrictions are implemented each year between April and October by most water providers in the region, the RDN stated in a written release. This ensures water demands for essential household use, fire protection and irrigation purposes can be met as the region prepares for the dry summer period.
“The Stage 2 restrictions target automated sprinkler systems, to ensure they are operated efficiently and not wastefully as we move into our dry season,” said RDN Chair Bill Veenhof. “Under normal conditions, we expect to stay in Stage 2 — even-and-odd day watering — for the duration of the summer. We thank residents for doing their part to conserve water outdoors.”
Hand-watering, drip irrigation and micro irrigation can continue at any time. Vegetable and food gardens are exempt from the restrictions. Washing vehicles and outdoor surfaces is still permitted, as is filling fountains, hot tubs and pools.
In addition to the nine RDN Water Service Areas — Nanoose Bay Peninsula, Englishman River Community (River’s Edge), French Creek/ Sandpiper, San Pareil, Whiskey Creek, Westurne Heights, Melrose Terrace, Decourcey (Pylades and Surfside), other local water providers that are moving to Stage 2 Restrictions on May 1 include: City of Nanaimo, EPCOR French Creek, Bowser Waterworks District, North Cedar Improvement District and Southwest Extension Waterworks District.
The Town of Qualicum Beach will move to Stage 1 on May 15. District of Lantzville will move to Stage 1 on May 1 and Stage 2 on June 1. Other water service areas are not implementing restrictions at this time.
Within the regional watering restrictions framework, water providers can move between the stages at their discretion, based on their operational needs and approach.
The generally utilized schedule is:
• Stage 1 April and Oct. — night-time lawn watering only, 7:00pm-7:00am;
• Stage 2 May through Sept. — limits use to “even- and odd-day” watering;
• Stage 3 Voluntary reductions on top of Stage 2 (only as required); and
• Stage 4 Bans non-essential outdoor water use (only as required)
For more information on the water restriction stages for the region and a map that displays the water service areas including their current watering restrictions, visit www.teamwatersmart.ca.
— NEWS Staff/RDN report