The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is putting many water users on its systems south of Pender Harbour on Stage 3 restrictions as of Friday, Aug. 26.
The tighter restrictions do not apply to users supplied by groundwater sources in Langdale, Soames Point and Granthams Landing or properties in Gibsons that get water from the aquifer (Zones 1 and 2). Those areas will remain at Stage 2.
Under Stage 3 all outdoor sprinkling is banned, but micro and drip irrigation systems that use less than 75 litres an hour (20 gallons) and operate at pressures of 25 psi or lower are allowed.
Hand watering and hand-held hoses equipped with automatic shut-off nozzle are also allowed.
Full details are available at www.scrd.ca
The SCRD’s water use numbers suggest people haven’t been cutting back as much as hoped during Stage 2.
The Stage 2 target is 15 million litres per day. Between Aug. 15 and 21, actual daily usage was closer to 20 million litres.
During last year’s severe drought, Stage 3 restrictions were imposed for the systems south of Pender Harbour on July 10, and Stage 4 (a ban on all outdoor water use) was declared Aug. 10.
But, unlike 2015, the SCRD has a back-up ready if drought conditions persist. Earlier this summer directors approved deploying a siphon system at Chapman Lake to “maintain water capacity at Stage 3 levels.”
If the SCRD moves to install the siphon it will cost about $123,000 to set up, and $15,000 a week to operate (including labour, materials, equipment, transportation, and third-party environmental monitoring).
