Here are my thoughts on the “new” watering restrictions hurriedly cobbled together:
Do you take joy from your landscaping? Do you want to grow your own veggies? Got your night vision goggles?
Through a series of convoluted meetings, the RDN, City of Parksville and Town of Qualicum Beach and others have adopted “uniform” watering restrictions. Not so uniform as one would think when you start to read the fine print.
In the RDN: Stage 1 in April-October means you can sprinkle your lawn only from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. during the period April through October.
In Parksville: Stage 1 in October AND April means you can sprinkle your lawn only from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in April and October.
So in Parksville this April, you will need your night vision goggles to see where you are watering. No sprinkling of landscape vegetation during daylight hours.
Surely it would be so much better to just start restrictions at Stage 2, whenever it is declared. Stage 1 is a waste of ink and vegetation.
Because of global warming, April is the new May and many gardeners will be expecting to get an early start. How Stage 1 and the rest of the new watering restrictions aid local food production is beyond my comprehension.
Unless you are a night hawk.
Al PastarsParksville
