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‘Acute’ Stage 3 water restrictions set to hit Aug. 8

Residents south of Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) water system will have to further restrict their water use starting Saturday, Aug. 8.
water restrictions

Residents south of Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) water system will have to further restrict their water use starting Saturday, Aug. 8.

That’s when Stage 3 or “acute” water use restrictions will come into effect, according to an Aug. 4 announcement from the SCRD.

“Our water supply is at risk due to prolonged dry weather and lack of significant amount of rain forecasted for the foreseeable future,” said the release.

Lawn watering is prohibited under Stage 3 restrictions, as is the use of sprinklers or soaker hoses to water trees, shrubs and flowers.

Hand-held hoses with nozzle, hand-held containers such as watering cans and micro/drip irrigation can be used, however – anytime for food producing plants and one hour daily between either 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. or 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the rest.

Commercial farms are still allowed to water.

Watering public sports fields and filling swimming pools, spas, garden ponds and fountains is not permitted.

Vehicles and boats can only be washed to remove seawater. Exterior building surfaces including windows, and sidewalks and driveways can only be washed for health and safety reasons.

The rules currently also apply to Zone 3 users in the Town of Gibsons, which historically has drawn water from the SCRD system. That is “likely to change,” however, now that Zone 3 is primarily being serviced by the Gibsons Aquifer, according to Town of Gibsons communications coordinator Elizabeth Quayle.

Those using groundwater sources in Langdale, Soames Point and Granthams Landing will remain at Stage 2.

Residents on Keats Island, meanwhile, are on “Severe” Stage 4 water restrictions, which bans all outdoor watering.

On Aug. 8 Pender Harbour and Earls Cove and Egmont residents will stay at Stage 1.

In July there were 26.6 millimetres of precipitation, according to an Environment Canada weather station in Sechelt. Last year, there were 18.4 millimetres. In 2018 there were 2.8 millimetres and in 2017 the weather station recorded 1 millimetre of rain.

Last year, Stage 3 was called June 27.