Water restrictions will apply to most homes in the Regional District of Nanaimo, beginning May 1. (Dreamstime)

By Alex Rawnsley

water levels

Seasonal water restrictions set for May 1 start

Apr 20, 2024 | 9:52 AM

NANAIMO — Several local areas of the central Island region are poised to start stage two water restrictions next month.

Beginning May 1, most areas of the Regional District, including the City of Nanaimo and City of Parksville, will move into the enhanced restrictions which include limited watering hours based on house number.

Those with even-numbered addresses will be allowed to freely water between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., as well as between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on even-numbered days. Houses with odd-numbered addresses will do the same on odd-numbered days.

Techniques including hand watering, drip and micro irrigation are exempt, as well as watering for vegetable and food gardens.

The Town of Qualicum Beach is presently scheduled to remain at stage one restrictions until at least May 15, while the Decourcey system is already on stage four as a preventative measure.

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No restrictions are currently placed for residents in the Deep Bay Improvement District or the Qualicum Bay Horne Lake Waterworks.

“With warmer than normal temperatures, however, reported snow levels at higher elevations were below average for most of the winter season,” the RDN noted in an advisory. “The snowpack helps store winter precipitation at elevation and contributes to streamflow and groundwater as it melts.”

Snowpack levels in B.C. are at their lowest levels since 1970, with levels on Vancouver Island only around 49 per cent of normal.

Stage three water restrictions were in place in mid-June last year, while stage four followed less than a month later.

Outside of fires near Cameron Lake and Sayward, Vancouver Island was largely spared from what experts called the worst fire season on record in 2023.

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