By Spencer Sterritt

Conservation-minded Nanaimo means increase to water restrictions unlikely: City

Jun 30, 2017 | 4:18 PM

NANAIMO — Despite rising temperatures and drying conditions, Nanaimo likely won’t advance to higher water restrictions this summer, the City said.

Bill Sims, Nanaimo’s water resources manager, said the City will stay at Stage 2, with even-odd watering days and sprinkling not allowed during the middle of the day.

“This year we’re expecting a warmer than normal summer but at this time we have adequate water to last,” he said.

It’s all thanks to a wet winter and spring, which has kept the water supply at Jump Lake full.

It’s a far cry from where Nanaimo was only a few summers ago when it was extremely dry in 2014 and 2015.

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Sims said dealing with such warm, dry summers seemed to trigger homeowners to conserve water.

“Nanaimo is actually so far ahead of so many other municipalities within B.C. as far as water conservation. All of the right things, all of the conservation measures that have been in place, coupled with Nanaimo residents’ own environmental awareness, has really gotten our summer time water use down to a minimum.”

Though Nanaimo’s water levels are strong, Sims said it doesn’t mean homeowners should disregard the water restrictions already in place for the rest of the summer.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterritt