Getting caught watering your lawn out of turn, or even using an old leaky sprinkler, could cost you big time.
Capital Regional District water commissioners are boosting the fines for violating the water conservation bylaw.
A number of fines have been increased to $200 from $75 for allowing “deterioration of an appliance resulting in waste of water,” or just wasting water in general when any stage of watering restrictions are in effect.
Also increased are fines for watering your lawn contrary to your even- or odd-numbered address. The fine for watering on the wrong day increases to $200 from $75 during Stage 1 restrictions, which allow watering twice a week, and to $250 from $150 during Stage 2.
With Stage 2, lawn watering is permitted once a week and there are limitations on washing sidewalks and the exterior of buildings.
Only one fine was issued last year, and an average of just two per year have been issued since the bylaw came into effect in 2001, said Ted Robbins, CRD general manager integrated water services. He said the CRD prefers to take an educational approach, especially with first offences.
All fines for violations of Stage 3 restrictions will be $400. Under Stage 3, there’s no lawn watering, filling of swimming pools, hot tubs or garden ponds, filling or operating an ornamental fountain or washing a car or boat. In most cases, that’s an increase from the previous fine of $250.
Heidi Gibson, senior manager environmental partnerships, said the fines have not been adjusted since the bylaw was introduced. The increases still have to be ratified by the CRD board.
Water use has been above average during the recent warm and dry weather, Robbins said. “So far this month in May, demand on 13 of the days has exceeded the 2015 daily demands. So demand is up,” he said. Even though the reservoir level “is about to dip outside the normal range” there’s no cause for concern about the water supply. The reservoir was 93.7 per cent full on Wednesday.
Stage 1 water restrictions begin automatically every year on May 1 and stay in effect until Sept. 30. That means lawns can be watered two days a week between 4 and 10 a.m. and 7 and 10 p.m.
Under the bylaw, a recommendation to move to a higher stage of restrictions would be made by staff based on factors such as seasonal water demand trends, precipitation and temperature, reservoir level, and compliance with restrictions.
The water conservation bylaw came about after the drought of 2000. The winter of 2000-01 was Greater Victoria’s driest on record. The following summer, reservoirs dipped to near-record lows, forcing the water commission to impose the most draconian watering restrictions this area has ever seen.
That was before the CRD completed the $20-million Sooke Reservoir expansion project. That project, competed in 2003, increased the capacity of the reservoir by about 80 per cent to 20.4 billion gallons from 11.4 billion.
