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Watering restriction exemptions considered for select businesses

NANAIMO – Districts and municipalities debate region-wide watering restrictions to reduce confusion.

Watering restrictions being considered by the Regional District of Nanaimo and City of Nanaimo won’t be as stringent for businesses, according to proposed guidelines.

Water service areas collaborated on standard watering restrictions in order to avoid confusion caused last summer by different levels. But while the framework proposes restrictions for residents during the spring and summer months, businesses – such as tree farms, nurseries, car washes and power washing companies – will be exempt, as will watering municipal fields, according to information from the regional district.

Mike Donnelly, regional district water and utility services manager, said restrictions have to be developed with a general view in mind. During meetings with water purveyors, it was learned that accommodations were needed for the commercial side, where possible.

“Last year, people had house painting they were planning to do; they had to reseal driveways. If there is a competent person coming in and they have to power wash, then OK, that’s fine,” said Donnelly. “We just had to bring in a restriction on general power washing. At the end of the day, I’m not sure that’s a huge issue.”

Bill Sims, city manager of water resources, said the framework focuses on watering grass, but in the case of fields, they are assets.

“You can say, ‘The city shouldn’t be watering its sports fields,’ but if you look into it further, then you would realize that those are actually infrastructure, they’re not just a pretty lawn to look at. It’s infrastructure that many community groups rely on, so we want to keep those fields alive,” Sims said.

While 2015 saw an unusually dry winter, 2016 has seen frequent rainfall and last summer’s conditions aren’t anticipated this summer, said Donnelly.

Stage 3 and 4 restrictions, the more restrictive levels, are not usually implemented and were used last year because of persistent drought. The regional district is usually in Stage 1 and 2, the lower levels, he said.

While the regional district board was expected to vote on the framework at its Feb. 23 meeting, it was deferred to later this month. Nanaimo city council is expecting a staff report later in the month as well.

The District of Lantzville approved the watering guidelines at its Feb. 22 council meeting.



Karl Yu

About the Author: Karl Yu

After interning at Vancouver Metro free daily newspaper, I joined Black Press in 2010.
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