Metro Vancouver's Stage 1 water restrictions to be lifted October 15

All remaining seasonal water restrictions under Metro Vancouver’s water shortage response plan will be lifted on Thursday, October 15.

Currently across the region, Stage 1 water restrictions remain in effect, which mainly targets the amount of water consumed by residences and businesses for lawn maintenance purposes.

Officials at the regional district downgraded water restrictions from Stage 2 to Stage 1 on September 22. The following restrictions remain in place until October 15:

• Even-numbered residential addresses can water their lawns on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 4 to 9 a.m. while odd-numbered residential addresses can water their lawns on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings from 4 to 9 a.m.
• Non-residential addresses can water their lawns on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 1 to 6 a.m. while odd numbered addresses can water their lawns on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 1 to 6 a.m. Both non-residential address types can water their lawns on Friday morning from 4 to 9 a.m.

Water level concerns first arose in early-2015 when the South Coast experienced warm temperatures and low snowpack levels – a main source of water for streams and rivers during the drier summer months and the meltwater runoff also replenishes reservoir water levels.

The low snowpack resulted in a disastrous season for local ski resorts. As of mid-April, the mountain snowpack in the South Coast was just 13 per cent of normal levels.

From June 1 to July 3, water usage in the region averaged a high of 1.48 billion litres per day when record hot temperatures caused a significant increase in water demand.

This fell to 1.41 billion litres per day from July 3 to July 20 during the year’s first Stage 2 period and 1.11 billion litres per day from July 20 to September 2 during the Stage 3 phase.

The combined water storage levels for Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam reservoirs are now above 2014 levels and well within the normal range at this time of year.

During most summers, the regional district activates the minimal first stage of its Water Shortage Response Plan regardless of weather conditions, but this normally only lasts until September 30.

 
Click on this image for an enlarged diagram on Metro Vancouver’s water usage in the summer of 2015.

Image: Metro Vancouver Regional District