After spending months in a drought, the Sunshine Coast Regional District has gone back to level 1 water restrictions.
Water users on the South Pender, Chapman, Langdale, Soames Point, and Granthams Landing Water Systems will no longer have to follow stage 4 restrictions. Stage 1 restrictions will remain until September 30th.
The Eastbourne Water System will be remaining at level 4.
Sprinklers or soaker hoses can be used to water lawns between Thursday and Sunday from 7am to 8am for even numbered addresses, and Wednesday and Saturday for odd.
Watering trees, shrubs, produce, or other plants is allowed between 7am and 9am to 7pm and 9pm for even numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and odd numbered addresses on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Pressure washing sidewalks and driveways, windows or exterior building surfaces is now once again allowed.
“This has been by far the most challenging year for the SCRD in managing our water supply,” says Remko Rosenboom, SCRD General Manager of Infrastructure Services. “Thank you to everyone in our community who stepped up and answered our call to conserve water, your efforts made a real difference. We are also grateful to our municipal partners, particularly the Town of Gibsons for assisting us with water supply through the late summer months.”
Rosenboom says that despite “the Church Road wells online it is possible that an extended drought next year will again require more stringent Water Conservation Regulations to be activated to guarantee the water supply.”
126 mm of rain fell in the Chapman Lake area since Friday, helping to ease water concerns in the area.
“I want to take an opportunity to recognize SCRD staff for their work in securing our water supply through the Summer,” says Dean McKinley, SCRD Chief Administrative Officer. “Whether it’s been water technicians monitoring our water supply through the night, management working into evenings and weekends or staff assisting homeowners with fixing leaks, I am proud of how everyone has pulled together through what has been a very challenging Summer.”
The Emergency Operations Center will be ‘winding down’ in the coming weeks, but the SCRD states it will be looking at the future of a project the EOC will undertake by Edwards lake.
As restrictions ease, ice will also be installed at the Sunshine Coast Arena.
