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
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.