Sprinkling Restrictions

Restrictions for Watering Lawns, Trees, Shrubs, Vegetables & Flowers

STAGE 1 – (May 1 – June 30 and Sept 2 – Oct 1)

Stage 1	Irrigation Type	Home Addresses	Days	Times
May 1 – June 30 and Sept 2 – Oct 1	Sprinkler, soaker or weeper hose	Even number	Tues, Thurs & Sat	5 am – 8 am 7 pm – 10 pm
		Odd number	Wed, Fri & Sun	5 am – 8 am 7 pm – 10 pm
May 1 – June 30 and Sept 2 – Oct 1	Hand-held hose with automatic shut-off nozzle, micro or drip irrigation**	All addresses	Any day	Any time

 STAGE 2 – (July 1 – Sept 1)

Stage 2	Irrigation Type	Home Addresses	Days	Times
July 1 – Sept 1	Sprinkler, soaker or weeper hose	Even number	Tues & Sat	6 am – 8 am 8 pm – 10 pm
		Odd number	Wed & Sun	6 am – 8 am 8 pm – 10 pm
July 1 – Sept 1	Hand-held hose with automatic shut-off nozzle, micro or drip irrigation**	All addresses	Any day	Any time

STAGE 3 – Emergency Called by SRD, Over-Rides Stage 1 & 2

Stage 3	Irrigation Type	Home Addresses	Days	Times
Emergency Called by SRD	Sprinkler, soaker or weeper hose	NO Sprinkler, soaker or weeper hose at any time
Emergency Called by SRD	Hand-held hose with automatic shut-off nozzle, micro or drip irrigation**	All addresses	Any day	6 am – 8 am 8 pm – 10 pm

Notes:

  * Unless an emergency requires a greater restriction.
** Micro and drip irrigation systems must be correctly installed in order to avoid “over-watering” as defined in Bylaw 324 (pg. 14): “Over watering” means to water in a manner that saturates the lawn, boulevard or landscaped area and results to water spreading onto areas beyond them

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Exceptions to the Irrigation Bylaw:

Stage 1 – A person may water:

• Newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by any method during installation and and for the following 24 hours.
• Upon issuance of a Lawn Sprinkling Permit, water new sod and seeded lawns within the prescribed hours with a sprinkler or at any time if done with a hand-held hose with automatic shut-off nozzle.

Bylaw 324 – New lawn permits for sprinkler use
Stage 1 & 2 only (no charge).  No permits issued during Stage 3

	Sod	Seed
Valid For	21 days	49 days
Stage 1 (Sept 2 – June 30)	5 am – 8 am 7 pm – 10 pm

• Water all-weather playing fields if failure to do so will result in permanent loss of plant material

Any owner or occupier of property who is unable to water their property within the restricted days and times due to a mental or physical incapacity that has been documented by a medical practitioner may water their property every second day for a maximum of four hours.

Nurseries,  farms, turf farms or tree farms with meters are exempt from the restrictions

Local governments are exempt from the restrictions

Stage 2 – A person may water:

• Newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by any method during installation and for the following 24 hours.
• Upon issuance of a Lawn Sprinkling Permit, water new sod and seeded lawns within the prescribed hours with a sprinkler or at any time if done with a hand-held hose with automatic shut-off nozzle

Bylaw 324 – New lawn permits for sprinkler use
Stage 1 & 2 only (no charge).  No permits issued during Stage 3

	Sod	Seed
Valid For	21 days	49 days
Stage 2 (July 1 – Sept 1)	6 am – 8 am 8 pm – 10 pm

• Water all-weather playing fields if failure to do so will result in permanent loss of plant material

Any owner or occupier of property who is unable to water their property within the restricted days and times due to a mental or physical incapacity (documented by a medical practitioner) may water their property every second day for a maximum of four hours.

Nurseries,  farms, turf farms or tree farms with meters are exempt from the restrictions.

Stage 3 – A person may water:

• Newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by any method during installation and for the following 24 hours
• Water all-weather playing fields if failure to do so will result in permanent loss of plant material

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Other Outdoor Water Uses

Note: Pressure washers are not covered by Bylaw 324, as they use far less water than a hose.

Activity	Washing vehicles & boats	Washing exterior windows & building surfaces	Filling pools & hot tubs	Filling or operating a decorative fountain
Stage 1 & Stage 2	Hand-held container or hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle; car dealerships or commercial car-washes	Hand-held container or hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle	OK	OK
Stage 3	Only at commercial dealerships or car- washes using less than 205 litres per vehicle or that use 50% re-circulated water.	Only allowed if: applying a product such as paint, preservative or stucco preparing a surface for paving or repointing bricks required by law to comply with health and safety regulations	No filling or adding water to any: pools larger than 200 cm diameter, hot tubs garden ponds Filling wading pools of 200 cm diameter or less, and up to 30 cm high is permitted.	No filling or operating.

For full details, please see Water Restrictions for Electoral Area D Water Service Area as outlined in Bylaw 324.

For more information, please contact 250.830.6719 or email engineering@srd.ca.