The first stage of the City of Chilliwack’s annual summer watering restrictions went into effect May 6, and will remain in place until Oct. 15.
The city is currently in stage one of a four-stage system.
For stage one watering restrictions, Chilliwack residents with even numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) may water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Residents with odd addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) may water on Thursdays and Sundays. The allowable timeframes for watering for all residents is between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., and between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Chilliwack residents can also participate in the city's Good as Gold lawn contest for a chance to win prizes. To participate, residents should submit photos of their maintained, but not watered (dormant), gold lawns to waterconservation@chilliwack.com between May 1 and Oct. 15. Additional photos of water conservation initiatives in the yard, like vegetable gardens, rain barrels, or rock gardens, can also be sent in for more chances to win.
“Lawn watering accounts for approximately 30 per cent of Chilliwack’s summer water consumption,” said Mayor Ken Popove. “Making sure we are watering our lawns on our designated days is one of the easiest ways to conserve water and maintain a good supply in the aquifer all summer long.”
In a press release announcing the restrictions, the city noted there are a number of programs to support residential water conservation, including a rain barrel rebate program, a toilet rebate program, and the option to purchase outdoor water conservation kits from city hall. Residents can learn more about any of these programs by visiting chilliwack.com/water.
Last year, the city updated its water conservation plan from a five-stage system to a four-stage system to align with other municipalities in the region. Further increases in restrictions throughout the spring and summer will be announced on the city’s website and social media pages.
For full contest details for Good as Gold, and more information about summer watering restrictions, visit chilliwack.com/water.
