CRD asks Gulf Islands residents and visitors to decrease their water use
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.