Water use way up in Metro Vancouver despite restrictions

Metro Vancouver has revealed the region is consuming more water than normal, despite strict water restrictions that were implemented last week.

The government said water use has hit 1.6 billion litres per day, higher than it was at any point in 2014 – including in July.

That’s quickly depleting the region’s reservoirs, which are already low for this time of year at 75 per cent full.

As a response, officials have asked residents once again to conserve water and abide by the restrictions issued last Friday.

At Stage 2, people are only allowed to sprinkle their lawns once per week and water parks are shut down unless they have user-activated switches.

One hour of lawn sprinkling uses as much water as 25 toilet flushes, five laundry loads and five dishwasher loads combined, according to officials.

Many uses are still permitted at Stage 2, including watering flowers, gardens, decorative planters, shrubs and trees.

To learn more about the current water restrictions, visit the Metro Vancouver website.