Water restrictions put into place earlier this week have been lifted.
“The restrictions were put in place because extremely high peak water demand was occurring twice a day during this week’s hot weather. The amount of water being drawn from the community system reached a high of 940 litres per second. The safe limit for community use is 700 litres per second, to still leave enough water supply for fire protection,” Fire Chief Ian Baikie said in a press release.
“We extend a huge thank-you to everyone in the community for their efforts to reduce demand during peaks times, especially evenings,” says Jennifer Peters, the city’s utilities manager. “We appreciate that it’s inconvenient to cut back on water use, especially when it’s so hot and dry. It’s a relief to everyone to announce that, as long as we can keep our use within the threshold that allows for enough water for fire fighting, people served by the Campbell River water system can now go back to normal watering times.”
The sprinkling restrictions allow residents to water lawns during these times:
- Odd-numbered house addresses may water only on odd-numbered days from before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. (midnight to 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight).
- Even-numbered house addresses may water only on even-numbered days from before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. (midnight to 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight).
“Although the restrictions are now lifted, we ask that people continue to be vigilant about water use so we can continue to enjoy more convenient watering times and still maintain enough water supply for fire fighting,” Peters adds. “With cooler temperatures forecast, we’re hoping the change in weather will help reduce the demand for water too.”
The city suggests following these guidelines for water conservation and lawn care:
- Mow lawns to a length of three inches or more, reducing moisture loss and sunburn.
- Set sprinklers to water for 20 minutes or less per lawn watering session.
- Water for a maximum of two sessions per week, encouraging deep root systems.
- Recognize shade provides the best solution for sunburned lawn with trees/shrubs.
- Provide good aeration and drainage to create a healthy lawn.
The city will continue to monitor community water use throughout the summer.
