When the summer heat hits, local home-owners will be able to give their lawns some relief.
Abbotsford council has voted to allow bi-weekly sprinkling this year.
That’s good news to those who complained bitterly last summer about their lawns turning brown.
In 2010, the city ordered a total sprinkling ban to conserve water. This year, from May 1 to Sept. 30, sprinkling twice a week will be permitted. Even numbered addresses will be allowed to water lawns on Wednesday and Saturdays from 6-8 a.m. Odd numbered homes can water on Thursdays and Sundays, also from 6-8 a.m.
Sprinkling restrictions have been imposed in Abbotsford since 1995. The city’s maximum daily capacity of water is 143 million litres. In the summer, water use can come close to that mark. In 2007, the highest one day consumption occurred, at 139.2 million litres.
Last year’s sprinkling ban dropped the peak day usage to 106.8 million litres.
The decision to return to bi-weekly watering was made in part because the city is expecting to get approval from the ministry of environment to increase the amount of water used from the Bevan Wells. That would increase the daily capacity to 170 million litres.
Other restrictions:
Garden irrigation, watering of flowers, shrubs and vegetables may be carried out using a hand–held wand, a hose with a spring-loaded shut-off device or a sprinkler;
Car washing on grass or gravel areas may be carried out using a hand-held wand or hose equipped with a spring-loaded shut-off device;
Where a lawn was newly seeded or sodded, property owners may obtain a new lawn permit from the engineering department: New lawn permit (May, June, September & October) are $50 and allow daily watering from 5-8 a.m. for a two-week period. New lawn permit (July, August) are $100 and allow daily watering from 5-8 a.m. for a two-week period.
