Water is a precious commodity and a number of people have echoed that sentiment, including Dr. David Suzuki.
The City of Grand Forks is expressing concern about people watering their lawns.
It wants to remind people that are hooked up to the city’s water system that there are certain times when people can water their lawns and if people miss their allotted time, there aren’t any make-ups – you have to wait until it’s your time again.
City residents with even numbered addresses water on even numbered days and similarly, people with odd numbered addresses water on odd number dates.
Conservation for water to fight fires is one of the reasons for concern and Grand Forks Fire Rescue Chief Dale Heriot said that if a fire of the magnitude of March’s fires that damaged the Winnipeg Hotel and destroyed the Grand Forks Hotel happened today, there might not be enough water to battle the blaze.
A nice, emerald green lawn is a pleasant sight but with water being as precious as it is, stricter regulations are in order.
Along with the odd address and odd dates, even address and even dates, both can sprinkle lawns on the 31st day of the month, if indeed there is a 31st day. In that situation, even addresses can use manual sprinklers between 7 and 9 a.m. and odd addresses can sprinkle between 7 and 9 p.m.
People with automated timed underground sprinklers can water between 12 and 4 a.m. otherwise again, it’s the odds between 7 and 9 p.m. and the evens between 7 and 9 a.m., although it has to be one or the other and not both.
With a number of industries in town and the hot, dry weather during a majority of summers, the threat of a summer fire is real and the need to conserve water is necessary but allowing everyone to water on the 31st day of the month isn’t good.
There are 31st days in both the months of July and August and with everyone being allowed to water on those days, that isn’t good for conservation.
Watering your lawn, while nice, really isn’t a necessity and better to have water to drink and possibly to fight a fire.
– Grand Forks Gazette
