No lawn watering starting May 1 as Metro Vancouver jumps to Stage 2 restrictions

A sprinkler spraying water on a lawn. (Q. Hung Pham/Pexels)

Metro Vancouver residents are being asked to let their lawns go brown this spring as the regional district makes the unprecedented move to skip Stage 1 watering restrictions and bring in tighter rules early.

Stage 1 watering restrictions normally come into effect every May 1, and require residents and businesses to limit lawn watering to one day per week.

Instead, lawn watering will be banned entirely starting next week.

The regional district says early Stage 2 restrictions are needed to conserve drinking water ahead of what is expected to be a hot, dry summer with the threat of drought.

“We’re already seeing a very large number of wildfires across the province. This is top of mind for many already,” commissioner Jerry Dobrovolny said at a Greater Vancouver Water District meeting on Friday.

“It’s easy to see the mountains have little snow, and at this point our snowpack is about half of what it normally is, and considerably lower than it was at this time last year.”

The last time Metro Vancouver imposed Stage 2 watering restrictions was during a severe drought in August of 2023. Before that, the region moved to Stage 2 in July of 2015—though back then Stage 1 allowed lawn watering three times a week and Stage 2 limited it to once a week.

Another factor in the decision to bring in tighter restrictions is the under-construction Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel, which will replace the existing water main from the 1930s, according to the regional district.

The older pipe has been out of service since last fall, and increased water use will put strain on other parts of the system, explained Linda Parkinson of Metro Vancouver water services.

She told CTV News water demand can rise up to 1.5 billion litres a day in the summer, driven largely by outdoor use including lawn watering.

“It’s entirely possible for the region to keep the use down if folks comply, and we’re really hoping to see that through enforcement and people just realizing that…the lawns will bounce back. They’ll bounce back in the fall,” Parkinson said.

“So hopefully we can get everybody on board with reducing what really is discretionary use and putting high quality drinking water onto a lawn, when we can hold on to it for those more essential uses later in what’s gearing up to be a very hot summer.”

Dobrovolny told the board that he anticipates the region will need to move to Stage 3 water restrictions in early June. Under those rules, landscape sprinkling, topping up pools and hot tubs, and washing boats and cars are also prohibited.

“It’s going to be very important that residents adhere to watering restrictions, and we want to thank all of the member municipalities for working collaboratively with us while we ensure that our water system continues to deliver water for its most essential purposes, for cooking, for cleaning and for drinking,” Dobrovolny said.

Under the Stage 2 restrictions starting May 1, watering trees, shrubs and flowers is allowed any day between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. if using a sprinkler, or any time if watering by hand or drip irrigation. There are no restrictions on watering vegetable gardens. Filling up fountains is also prohibited.

Fines for violating water restriction rules vary by municipality.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ian Holliday