Don’t wash your cars or water lawns too much this summer.
Metro Vancouver is asking residents to conserve water — both indoors and outdoors — as the warm weather ramps up.
The recent heat spell put pressure on the region’s drinking water supply with daily water consumption levels soaring to near-record levels over the weekend.
According to the agency, the region’s 2.7 million residents and businesses used 1.79 billion litres on Sunday (June 27), tapping into the Coquitlam, Seymour and Capilano watersheds.
“We are asking all residents and businesses to reduce their discretionary water use — such as watering lawns and washing cars — during the heat wave so that we may ensure an ample supply of drinking water for the rest of the season,” said Malcolm Brodie, chair of Metro Vancouver’s water committee, in a news release.
While the region’s drinking water reservoirs are currently at normal levels, Metro Vancouver warns the ongoing hot and dry weather that’s forecasted could spell trouble for water use.
Until Oct. 15, you can water your lawn twice a week but only in the mornings.
You’re encouraged to visit Metro Vancouver’s We Love Water page for water conservation tips.
In total, the region’s residents and businesses consume about 390 billion litres of water each year.
COQUITLAM WATER SUPPLY
Meanwhile, the drinking water distributed in Coquitlam last year was “safe, clean and excellent,” according to a city report that came before council-in-committee on June 21.
Jaime Boan, Coquitlam’s general manager of engineering and public works, stated that water quality testing by the city as well as Metro Vancouver in 2020 showed top results when monitoring for harmful bacteria, turbidity and chlorine residual as well as disinfection byproducts, odour and taste.
Boan said the city logged 44 complaints about water quality last year; however, most of them were due to turbidity and were cleared up within two hours.
As a water supplier, the city is required to publicly report the results of its program under the B.C. Drinking Water Protection Act.
