Water Conservation and Regulation

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Background

The City provides clean drinking water to our more than 6300 permanent residents and our seasonal and visiting populations. Our primary drinking water supply source is Fairy Creek. We also maintain James White Park Wells as a secondary drinking water source that we can draw from when Fairy Creek is not available, typically during periods of turbidity associated with freshet.

Despite our backup source, the City has faced capacity issues due mainly to excessive water use by residents and businesses during the summer months. This, combined with the impacts of climate change and the prolonged periods of drought experienced in our region are impacting our primary source, and we are seeing an increase in turbidity events related to heat.

Ensuring the Future Health of our Water System

Following industry best practices and standards widely adopted by municipalities across the province, staff have drafted two bylaws to help regulate, govern and protect our municipal water system and ensure that we can provide the high-quality drinking water our community relies on long into the future.

At the July 16, 2024, Regular Council Meeting Council adopted the Water Works Bylaw (a bylaw to govern and protect the waterworks system) and a Water Conservation and Regulation Bylaw (a bylaw to regulate outdoor water use during periods of drought and high demand) that will operate in tandem to ensure the health of our municipal water system.

These Bylaws will support the existing Consolidated Water Connection and User Charge Bylaw No. 1594., and the recent Provincially issued orders on our drinking water operating license require that the City enhance regulation of our water system and prioritize bylaw and policy-driven water conservation initiatives.

Water Conservation and Regulation Bylaw

The Water Conservation and Regulation Bylaw is a vital tool for the City to ensure that we are operating within the capacity of our drinking water system and required water flows for fire suppression.

Key features of the new bylaw include:

  • The bylaw introduces staged outdoor watering restrictions designed to be adaptable and responsive to changing conditions. These restrictions limit watering to certain days and times and become stricter as conditions become more serious. This approach allows the City to adapt to varying circumstances, ensuring that water is used efficiently and effectively.
    • This starts with Stage 1 (automatically in effect from March 1 - October 15 each year) and escalates depending on reservoir levels, flows in creeks that feed the source, demand exceeding capacity, and Provincial area drought declarations.
  • Provisions against wasting water are enforceable through fines as required.
    • This allows the City to address runoff, leaks, non-recirculating devices, and irrigation of impermeable surfaces, such as driveways and sidewalks.

Exemptions will be in place for food-producing gardens, and permits will be available in stages 1 and 2 for daily watering of new turf, grass seed, shrubs, and trees. The bylaw does not apply to water residents collect through rain barrels or other means.

Outdoor Watering Restriction Stages


Water Works Bylaw

The City has adopted a Water Works Bylaw to regulate, govern and protect our municipal water system from tampering, contamination, or misuse.

The health of our municipal water system is critical to our ability to provide the quality drinking water our community relies on. This new Bylaw will provide staff with the tools to effectively regulate this essential community service.

Key benefits to the new bylaw are that it will allow the City to protect our water system by providing the tools to act on the following areas:

  1. Un-Authorized Water Use and Connection
  2. Damage to Public Infrastructure
  3. Water Leakage on Private Property

The Bylaw gives the City the recourses to deal with tampering with City Infrastructure (which includes unauthorized connection to the City’s water infrastructure like hydrants) through fines, cost recovery mechanisms for work done by the City, and the ability to recoup these costs by applying the fees to tax roll.

Background

The City provides clean drinking water to our more than 6300 permanent residents and our seasonal and visiting populations. Our primary drinking water supply source is Fairy Creek. We also maintain James White Park Wells as a secondary drinking water source that we can draw from when Fairy Creek is not available, typically during periods of turbidity associated with freshet.

Despite our backup source, the City has faced capacity issues due mainly to excessive water use by residents and businesses during the summer months. This, combined with the impacts of climate change and the prolonged periods of drought experienced in our region are impacting our primary source, and we are seeing an increase in turbidity events related to heat.

Ensuring the Future Health of our Water System

Following industry best practices and standards widely adopted by municipalities across the province, staff have drafted two bylaws to help regulate, govern and protect our municipal water system and ensure that we can provide the high-quality drinking water our community relies on long into the future.

At the July 16, 2024, Regular Council Meeting Council adopted the Water Works Bylaw (a bylaw to govern and protect the waterworks system) and a Water Conservation and Regulation Bylaw (a bylaw to regulate outdoor water use during periods of drought and high demand) that will operate in tandem to ensure the health of our municipal water system.

These Bylaws will support the existing Consolidated Water Connection and User Charge Bylaw No. 1594., and the recent Provincially issued orders on our drinking water operating license require that the City enhance regulation of our water system and prioritize bylaw and policy-driven water conservation initiatives.

Water Conservation and Regulation Bylaw

The Water Conservation and Regulation Bylaw is a vital tool for the City to ensure that we are operating within the capacity of our drinking water system and required water flows for fire suppression.

Key features of the new bylaw include:

  • The bylaw introduces staged outdoor watering restrictions designed to be adaptable and responsive to changing conditions. These restrictions limit watering to certain days and times and become stricter as conditions become more serious. This approach allows the City to adapt to varying circumstances, ensuring that water is used efficiently and effectively.
    • This starts with Stage 1 (automatically in effect from March 1 - October 15 each year) and escalates depending on reservoir levels, flows in creeks that feed the source, demand exceeding capacity, and Provincial area drought declarations.
  • Provisions against wasting water are enforceable through fines as required.
    • This allows the City to address runoff, leaks, non-recirculating devices, and irrigation of impermeable surfaces, such as driveways and sidewalks.

Exemptions will be in place for food-producing gardens, and permits will be available in stages 1 and 2 for daily watering of new turf, grass seed, shrubs, and trees. The bylaw does not apply to water residents collect through rain barrels or other means.

Outdoor Watering Restriction Stages


Water Works Bylaw

The City has adopted a Water Works Bylaw to regulate, govern and protect our municipal water system from tampering, contamination, or misuse.

The health of our municipal water system is critical to our ability to provide the quality drinking water our community relies on. This new Bylaw will provide staff with the tools to effectively regulate this essential community service.

Key benefits to the new bylaw are that it will allow the City to protect our water system by providing the tools to act on the following areas:

  1. Un-Authorized Water Use and Connection
  2. Damage to Public Infrastructure
  3. Water Leakage on Private Property

The Bylaw gives the City the recourses to deal with tampering with City Infrastructure (which includes unauthorized connection to the City’s water infrastructure like hydrants) through fines, cost recovery mechanisms for work done by the City, and the ability to recoup these costs by applying the fees to tax roll.

Page last updated: 17 Jul 2024, 10:36 AM