powered by:
uhn foundation
metro vancouver bans lawn watering starting may 1
3 minute read
we apologize, but this video has failed to load.
try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
lawn sprinklers across metro vancouver will soon go dry, as the region moves straight into stricter stage 2 water restrictions weeks earlier than usual because of drought concerns and a shrinking snowpack.
stage 1 restrictions typically begin may 1, limiting lawn watering to specific days and times. but stage 2 — which bans all lawn watering — is usually reserved for later in the summer, when reservoirs come under pressure.
this year, officials are skipping ahead.
here’s what you need to know about the coming water restrictions in metro:
what do stage 2 restrictions mean?
no lawn watering will be allowed in metro vancouver once stage 2 restrictions take effect starting friday, may 1.
even newly seeded, freshly laid sod lawns, or lawns being treated for chafer beetles won’t get a pass.
“it’s pretty much going to decimate your lawn, especially if you’re growing a fresh lawn,” said gareth heel of coquitlam-based premier grounds.
“grass takes six to eight weeks to grow properly. your seeds are not going to germinate or if it’s sod, it’s not going to root properly.”
some municipalities like vancouver have water exemption permits for new lawns or lawns being treated with nematodes.
the exemption, however, is only granted during stage 1.
advertisement
even then, said heel, if further restrictions appear imminent, the city could reject the application.
adam canete of vancouver’s green routine groundskeeping said this year’s earlier rollout means the opportunity to seed or lay new sod will be cut short, forcing homeowners to wait until the fall to install or fix their lawns.
“i wouldn’t do it for people. it’s not worth it,” he said. “in the summer, no one who is reputable will recommend it because if you don’t have it moist all the time, if it’s not constantly wet, it’s just a waste of money.”
both heel and canete said clients are moving away from lawns and increasingly opting for more eco-friendly alternatives such as artificial turf or rock gardens.
stage 2 water restrictions, which kick in on may 1 in metro vancouver, ban lawn watering.
photo: submitted
what can i water?
you can water trees, shrubs and flowers any day, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. if using an automatic or manual sprinkler, and any time if hand-watering or using drip irrigation. vegetable gardens can be watered any time.
non-residential properties are under the same restrictions, except they get an extra hour to water using automatic or manual sprinklers, starting at 4 a.m.
why are we going straight to stage 2 restrictions?
metro said it’s activating stage 2 restrictions earlier this year because of drought concerns, with below-normal snowpack levels and forecasts indicating a dry summer ahead.
advertisement
“it’s easy to see the mountains have very little snow,” metro chief administrative officer jerry dobrovolny said during a saturday board meeting. “at this point, our snowpack is about half of normal and considerably lower than it was last year.”
metro residents use about one billion litres of treated water a day, but that amount spikes during warm weather, primarily due to lawn watering and outdoor use.
in the summer, outside use causes demand to jump by more than 50 per cent, and even double during peak periods, said dobrovolny.
what is the status of the snowpack?
provincially, b.c.’s mountain snowpack is at near normal levels, at 92 per cent — higher than last year’s average of 79 per cent, according to the b.c. river forecast centre’s april 1 survey.
however, that figure masks regional differences.
the south coast has a below-normal snowpack, at 57 per cent of normal, with some stations recording near or all-time lows.
the snowpack is also well below normal in other coastal and southern b.c. regions, including vancouver island, the lower thompson, nicola, and the okanagan, making these areas more susceptible to drought conditions heading into the summer.
will there be further restrictions?
advertisement
metro will monitor water levels, usage and weather conditions in the coming months, but expects further restrictions.
“at this point, we are expecting we will need to go to stage 3 in june,” said dobrovolny.
stage 3 restrictions ban most outdoor water use, including washing vehicles and boats, and filling pools and hot tubs.
watering trees, shrubs and flowers would still be allowed if using a hand-held hose with an automatic shut-off device or drip irrigation. watering by sprinkler or soaker hose would prohibited. restrictions on watering golf courses also kick in.
stage 3 restrictions are rare in metro, last coming into effect in 2015 during a major drought. some municipalities have implemented stage 3 bans more recently, including tofino in 2023 and the sunshine coast in 2019.
share story
