Sunshine Coast banning outdoor water use amid drought
The Sunshine Coast Regional District is banning all outdoor use of potable water starting Friday in an effort to conserve supply.
Stage 4 water restrictions will apply to residents of the district whose supply comes from the Chapman Water System, which includes those in Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay and Roberts Creek.
"Our water supply is at risk due to prolonged dry weather," a notice form the district says.
"Under these drought conditions, water use priorities focus on water for human health, firefighting and minimum creek flow requirements."
Among the activities banned under these restrictions are watering plants and flowers with a hose and washing vehicles or boats. Bans on lawn watering, filling private pools or hot tubs and washing sidewalks, driveways and fences were already prohibited.
In addition, all businesses and residents are being urged have a "water reduction strategy" to limit indoor use as much as possible.
During Stage 4 restrictions, the district says fines of $500 can be issued without warning to anyone caught violating the rules.
CHAPMAN WATERSHED DRYING UP
The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association has been monitoring water levels at the Chapman Creek watershed, where 90 per cent of Sunshine Coast residents get their water supply.
On Wednesday, Evan Lee-Dodek and Sofia Carroll, environmental project coordinators with the SCCA, went to Tetrahedron Provincial Park to look at the watershed and were startled by what they saw.
“We saw extremely low water levels. The lake is at 14 per cent capacity right now,” Lee-Dodek said. “We went there earlier in the summer, in June, and the contrast between then and yesterday was so drastic and it's definitely a cause for concern in the community—how little water we have left.”
The pair did not anticipate seeing the drastic change.
They wore waterproof shoes and were anticipating more flowing water.
“We got up there and it was very dry and we could move around the lake with ease and there was just a very, very low level of water,” Carroll explained.
They captured drone footage of the watershed to spread awareness of how dire the drought situation is.
They encourage people to take steps to conserve water, such as taking shorter showers and being cognizant of water usage in the home.
They’re also asking people to track their water usage by signing up through the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s website for a chance to win prizes.
“This will just give people an idea of how much water they're actually using, and may incentivize people to use less water,” Lee-Dodek said.
“The water levels will most likely keep dropping throughout the fall. We're gonna get a few more weeks of low levels of rain and no rain, and we're going to keep using water. So it's important to understand that,” Carroll said.
HOPING HISTORY DOESN'T REPEAT ITSELF
Last year, the district declared a state of emergency due to drought and ordered swimming pools, breweries, non-medical cannabis producers, businesses that bottle water, and those that transport and install concrete, cement and gravel to halt the use of potable water.
This year, a well and siphons have been installed to increase the water supply.
Leonard Lee, chair of the regional district, said they are introducing Stage 4 restrictions now to prevent a repeat of last year.
“We're hoping to avoid having to enter into a state of local emergency, which is actually the last resort, because you never want to get to where you do not have sufficient water for your hospitals and for your firefighting and for basic use in the home,” Lee said.
New restrictions in the district come as drought conditions persist across the province, fuelling record-breaking wildfires and prompting a dire warning from provincial officials.
Eighty per cent of the province's watersheds are at drought level four or five. This means that "adverse impacts on both communities and ecosystems" are likely or almost certain, according to the province's ranking system.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.