The Province monitors drought conditions and sets the Provincial Drought Code, which is a general indicator of the status of environmental conditions in various regions of BC. North Cowichan implements water restrictions in step with the Province’s drought level, while monitoring our water system demand and environmental conditions of our water sources. Water restrictions are adjusted, as needed, and generally align with the region’s other water providers.
Operational changes during higher stage water restrictions:
- Irrigation is turned off on most sports fields, small green space parks and boulevard plantings.
- Adhering to minimum water usage for critical sports fields (i.e., sand fields). These types of fields do not go dormant like a typical residential lawn, but actually die, resulting in the expensive loss of recreational infrastructure.
- Switching to drip irrigation wherever possible.
Outdoor watering is not permitted between the hours of 9am - 7pm.
Overview of water restrictions
Download or print a copy of this table
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective Date | May 1 - Oct 31 annually | Provincial Drought Code 3 1: Effective Date as required | Provincial Drought Code 4 1: Effective Date as required | Provincial Drought Code 5 1: Effective Date as required |
| Conventional irrigation systems and sprinklers | ||||
| Lawns, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, flower gardens | 2 hours/day Even addresses - Wed & Sat Odd addresses - Thu & Sun | 2 hours/day Even addresses - Wed Odd addresses - Sun | Not permitted | Not permitted |
| New lawns 2 | 2 hours/day Any day Requires Garden Irrigation Permit | 1 hour/day Any day Requires Garden Irrigation Permit (permits must be obtained prior to Stage 2 restrictions) | 1 hour/day Any day Requires Garden Irrigation Permit (permits must be obtained prior to Stage 2 restrictions) | Not permitted |
| Hand watering, micro/drip irrigation 3 | ||||
| Vegetable gardens, fruit trees | 4 hours/day | 4 hours/day | 2 hours/day | 2 hours/day |
| Ornamental trees, shrubs, flower gardens | 2 hours/day | 2 hours/day | 1 hour/day | 1 hour/day |
| Lawns | 2 hours/day | 1 hour/day | Not permitted | Not permitted |
| New lawns 2 | 2 hours/day | 1 hour/day | 1 hour/day Requires Garden Irrigation Permit (permits must be obtained before Stage 2 restrictions) | Not permitted |
| Other outdoor water use | ||||
| Filling pools & hot tubs | No Restrictions | No Restrictions | Not Permitted 4 | Not Permitted 4 |
| Washing vehicles or boats | No Restrictions | No Restrictions | Permitted under certain circumstances 5 | Not Permitted |
| Washing driveways, houses and sidewalks | No Restrictions | Permitted under certain circumstances 5 | Permitted under certain circumstances 5 | Not Permitted |
| Sports fields 6 | Reduced watering | Reduced water, conservation measures | Reduced or eliminated water | Reduced or eliminated water |
| Private wells, Agriculture 7 | Regulated by Provincial Government (Not supplied from community potable water systems) | |||
4. Pools filled prior to Stage 3 water use restrictions being implemented may be topped up to account for evaporation losses in order to avoid damage to pumps, etc. Municipal recreation facilities exempt.
5. For residential properties, washing driveways, houses or sidewalks is only permitted during Stages 2 and 3 in preparation for applying paints, preservatives or for pouring concrete. Residential washing (i.e. not at a car wash facility which reuses water) of vehicles and boats is only permitted in Stage 3 in preparation of applying paints or preservatives. Commercial enterprises which require water use to facilitate normal business activities are exempt from some Stage 2 and 3 water restrictions. These include nurseries, turf farms or tree farms, car wash / detailers, power washing companies, window washing companies, etc.
6. School and municipal playing fields are often sand-based and require regular watering. For that reason they are exempt from sprinkling regulations. Regardless, efforts are made to reduce water use and the irrigation timings are adjusted to reduce evaporation and avoid times of higher water consumption.
7. If necessary the Provincial Government can require the curtailment of water use for private wells and for agricultural purposes.
To learn more about exemptions in place, see the Waterworks Bylaw (PDF).
Reporting
Compliance of water conservation measures is required by all owners and occupiers within North Cowichan. To report a violation, fill out the form below.