As May begins and the weather starts to heat up, the District of Squamish is reinstating water conservation for the summer months.
Summer usually sees an increase in water use in Squamish, with an 80 per cent increase in 2018.
As of May 1, Stage 1 of the restrictions on outdoor water use allows residents to watering their lawns with a sprinkler two days a week, between 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. There are different times for watering gardens and vegetables depending on how the water is distributed, whether by sprinkler, hand-held container or irrigation systems. Washing outdoor surfaces and filling pools, hot tubs or small ponds will be allowed. Washing a car is permitted if done with a hand-held container or automatic shut-off hose. A permit is required for watering new sod or a newly seeded lawn.
The District expects 31,525 residents by 2031, which is reflected in the infrastructure upgrades the water system will need to support a larger population. It aims to reduce water use by 15 per cent per capita by 2031. In a press release, the District wrote “adhering to the various stages of water restrictions will help the District stayon track to maintain the existing high level of water system service to Squamish residents well into the future.”
Tips the District recommends include watering less, let your lawn go brown during the summer, invest in a rain sensor and collect rainwater.
“As a community, we can collectively manage our water supply by each of us making some small but important changes, especially during the hot summer months when our peak demand approaches our pumping capacity,” District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott said in a press release.
