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Effect May 1, residents and businesses will only be allowed to water their lawns a maximum of once per week to help conserve water.

Photo courtesy City of Richmond

Lawn watering restricted to one day per week starting May 1

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 10:27 PDT, Fri April 4, 2025

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Seasonal restrictions on lawn watering come into effect on May 1 throughout Metro Vancouver. Residents and businesses will be allowed to water their lawns a maximum of once per week to help conserve water.

"With the changing climate, summers in our region have been longer, drier, hotter, and more unpredictable than in the past," said Mike Hurley, Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. "To ensure that the region's high-quality drinking water lasts through the coming season, we must practise good conservation habits, like reducing our outdoor water use."

Under Stage 1 restrictions, designated lawn watering days are determined by property address and type. Trees, shrubs, and flowers may be watered in the morning when using a sprinkler, or at any time when hand watered or using drip irrigation. Edible plants are exempt from the restrictions. Lawn watering restrictions will be in place from May 1 until October 15.

STAGE 1 RESIDENTIAL LAWN WATERING ALLOWED:

Even-numbered addresses: Saturdays — automatic watering between 5 and 7 a.m., and manual watering between 6 and 9 a.m.
Odd-numbered addresses: Sundays — automatic watering between 5 and 7 a.m., and manual watering between 6 and 9 a.m.
Trees, shrubs, and flowers can be watered with a sprinkler any day between 5 and 9 a.m., or any time by hand or using drip irrigation

STAGE 1 NON-RESIDENTIAL LAWN WATERING ALLOWED:

Even-numbered addresses: Mondays — automatic watering between 4 and 6 a.m., and manual watering between 6 and 9 a.m.
Odd-numbered addresses: Tuesdays — automatic watering between 4 and 6 a.m., and manual watering between 6 and 9 a.m.
Trees, shrubs, and flowers can be watered with a sprinkler any day between 4 and 9 a.m., or any time by hand or using drip irrigation

These restrictions do not apply to the use of rainwater, grey water, any forms of recycled water, or other sources of water outside the regional and municipal drinking water supply system. Member jurisdictions enforce watering restrictions through local bylaws.

"In the summer, our water consumption increases by over 50 per cent thanks to lawn watering and other outdoors uses," said Brad West, chair of Metro Vancouver's Water Committee. "We need water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning over anything else, and reducing lawn watering is the simplest, most effective way to lower demand."

Metro Vancouver's water supply comes from rainfall and snowmelt in three mountain water supply areas that contain the Capilano, Seymour, and Coquitlam reservoirs.

Metro Vancouver collaborates with its member jurisdictions to plan for and deliver drinking water to more than three million residents using a system of water supply areas, dams, treatment facilities, reservoirs, pump stations, and water mains. Upgrades are regularly made to the system to maintain the regional district's ability to reliably provide high-quality drinking water.

Find full restrictions, as well as ideas for how to maintain a healthy lawn, at metrovancouver.org/lawns.