Starting Friday, watering your lawn in Surrey can cost you $300 fine

Watering your lawn is prohibited in Surrey as stage two water restrictions come into effect Friday (Aug. 4). (Photo: Pixabay)

Stage 2 water restrictions come into effect Aug. 4

Watering your lawn in Surrey will be prohibited starting Friday (Aug. 4) as Stage 2 water restrictions take effect.

The City of Surrey says it will be strictly enforcing the new rules and will issue tickets up to $300 for “unauthorized watering.”

While Stage 1 outdoor watering restrictions are in effect every year from May 1 to Oct. 15 , Stage 2 to 4 restrictions are implemented “as needed.” The last time Metro Vancouver moved beyond Stage 1 was in 2015 due to a low snowpack and dry conditions.

Daily water usage in Metro Vancouver during the summer months can increase by 50 per cent due to lawn watering and increased outdoor use. Metro Vancouver board chair George Harvie said the use of the regional district’s water user remains higher than ever, with water consumption in the region since May averaging about 20 per cent higher than last year.

WHAT IS ALLOWED IN SURREY DURING STAGE 2:

Note: hand-held hoses must have an automatic shut-off, such as a spray nozzle.

• Residents and businesses can water trees, shrubs, and flowers by hand, using a soaker hose, or drip irrigation at any time, or residents can use a sprinkler to water trees, shrubs, and flowers between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. any day. Businesses can use a sprinkler an hour earlier, from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m.

• Vegetable gardens can be watered at any time by hand, using soaker hoses, drip irrigation or a sprinkler

• Washing outdoor surfaces, such as driveways and sidewalks, is allowed with a handheld hose or pressure washer

• Vehicles and boats can be washed with a handled hose. They must be washed on gravel or a paved area where the water cannot enter storm drains. The City of Surrey recommends using a commercial car wash instead.

• Golf courses can water fairways once a week, except when they have an approved water use plan

• Soil-based playing fields can only be watered four days a week from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Newly seeded fields with a valid special sparkling permit and fields operating under an approved Water Use Plan are exempt.

• Water spray parks may operate if they have user-activated switches

• Topping up or filling pools and hot tubs is also allowed in Metro Vancouver

Read more: Ban on lawn watering to soon take effect in Metro Vancouver amid drought

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED IN SURREY DURING STAGE 2:

• Watering residential and non-residential lawns, including schools, City of Surrey lawns, parks and grass boulevards

• Filling or topping up aesthetic water features

Read more: Stage 2 water restrictions come into effect Friday in Surrey, White Rock

“Water conservation plays a key role in ensuring we will have enough drinking water today and for future generations,” Metro Vancouver’s website states.

The Better Business Bureau Serving Mainland BC recently released seven tips to conserve water:

For more information about water conservation, visit the Ministry of Environment’s water stewardship website or welovewater.ca.

To report a water restriction violation, call 604-591-4340 or report online.

-With files from Tricia Weel & Lauren Collins

[email protected]Like us on Facebook Like us on Instagram and Follow Anna on Twitter.

Be Among The First To Know

Create a free account today, and start receiving free newsletters.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox.