CRD asks Gulf Islands residents and visitors to decrease their water use

CTV Vancouver's Pete Cline captured downtown Vancouver, the Gulf Islands, Howe Sound and more during a recent flight in Chopper 9. (Photos from April 2018)

Vancouver -

B.C.'s Capital Regional District is asking residents and visitors alike to reduce water use in the Southern Gulf Islands amid the serious drought conditions currently parching the province.

In an alert posted on its website earlier this week and updated on Friday, the CRD says it "appreciates the efforts" that have been made to conserve water on the islands so far.

"However, due to the current high level of sustained drought in the region, the CRD is requesting that residents and visitors to these islands increase their efforts to conserve water," the alert reads.

The CRD says drinking-water systems on the islands are "especially vulnerable" to drought, adding that the levels in most of the islands' water supply sources are already low, and little to no rain is in the forecast to replenish them.

"In an effort to preserve an adequate drinking water supply, all residents and visitors to Salt Spring Island and the Southern Gulf Islands are encouraged to decrease their indoor water use where possible and stop all outdoor water use with some limited exceptions," the district says.

The exceptions for outdoor water use include limited hand-watering of trees, shrubs and vegetables.

The CRD asks people to refrain from watering lawns, turf or boulevards and avoid using motion-activated sprinklers to deter wildlife. It also asks people not to wash outdoor surfaces - such as driveways, sidewalks and decks - nor to wash vehicles or boats.

"In addition to these guidelines, a number of CRD-owned water systems are currently under elevated water conservation restrictions," the district says.

It recommends those who are connected to CRD-owned systems check the district's website for details specific to their local areas.