Metro Vancouver residents asked to take quick showers amid drought | Daily Hive

Residents in Metro Vancouver are being asked to take steps to reduce water consumption now.

According to the Metro Vancouver Regional District, dry conditions combined with a surge in water usage is draining our reservoirs.

Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Water Committee Malcolm Brodie said in a release that current water use is about 20% higher than normal for this time of year.

“Our reservoir levels are lower than we typically see for this time of year, and this higher-than-expected water usage is leading to ongoing drawdown of our water storage reservoirs,” he said.

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Vancouver is in the middle of a dry spell. It’s rained more in the Mojave Desert than in Vancouver lately.

“Since August 1, watershed areas have received approximately 50 millimetres of precipitation. On average, we typically see around 400 millimetres of precipitation between August 1 and mid-October,” said Metro Vancouver. Meanwhile, last year, the watershed areas got more than 650 millimetres of rain.

The long-term weather forecast doesn’t seem to have much relief in store. Hence, as the dry conditions persist, Metro Vancouver encourages residents and businesses to use less treated drinking water.

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“At Metro Vancouver, we store, treat, and deliver water to your home – but we need your help to make sure there’s enough of it for the whole dry season,” said Brodie. “Reducing indoor and outdoor water use during this dry season will help preserve our water supply until the replenishing rains return.”

How to conserve water

Metro Vancouver is encouraging less use of water both indoors and outdoors.

Don’t water your lawns
Turn off the tap while washing dishes, brushing teeth, and taking shorter showers
Run full loads of laundry on normal, cold wash settings

Welovewater.ca has plenty of more tips for helping you cut back on water usage.