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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.