With low snowpacks and river levels in southern B.C., watering restrictions for Langley and the rest of Metro Vancouver arrived this week.
The seasonal restrictions take effect from June 1 to Sept. 30 to conserve Metro Vancouver’s drinking water.
“With this year’s record low snowpack and unseasonably warm start to the summer season, we encourage all residents and businesses to do the right thing and conserve water whenever possible,†said Metro Vancouver Board Chair Greg Moore.
Watering lawns will be permitted during the morning but banned during the evening, when domestic use for dishwashing, laundry, and showers spikes.
Since 1993, per capita water use in Metro Vancouver has gone down 27 per cent.
Aldergrove and other parts of East Langley are expected to join the Metro Vancouver water supply later this summer.
The East Langley Water Supply Project, dealing with some construction delays, is now expected to be completed by around Aug. 7.
Through May and into the summer, the contractors will be finishing installing the last 800 meters of 15 kilometres of pipeline that will connect the Metro Vancouver system to east Langley.
Aldergrove has relied on mostly local well water in the past for its municipal supply.
Once testing of the pipeline and its two new pump stations is complete, the water will be turned on.
Watering restrictions in Aldergrove have been stricter than in other parts of the Township because of the more limited water supply.
Last year, in July, Aldergrove went to Stage Three restrictions which banned all lawn sprinkling by homes and businesses, and most commercial gardens and residential gardens, along with shrubs and flower beds, could only be watered by hand or drip irrigation.
Those who get their water from private wells are not affected by watering restrictions, although the Langley Environmental Partners Society and the Township encourage conservation.