As the province continues to deal with significant drought conditions, officials in Metro Vancouver are trying to put a stop to unnecessary use of water.
The region is moving to Stage 2 of its watering restrictions this Friday, which means no lawn watering is allowed.
“Lawn watering is the biggest source of water usage that’s discretionary outside the home," said Metro Vancouver water committee chair Malcolm Brodie.
"We've got to save the water for the cooking, the cleaning and the drinking which are fundamental to our quality of life," he continued.
The last time Metro Vancouver moved to Stage 2 water restrictions was in 2015.
Last month, the region reached its peak single-day water usage of 1.56 billion litres.
“We had hot dry temperatures last year, but the water usage per capita is up 20 per cent this year for some reason, and so this is an additional reason why we need people to co-operate and to conserve the water," said Brodie.
“The drought situation across B.C. is very real," said Neesha Hothi of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC, adding that people should reduce their water consumption year-round and not just in the summer.
“We need to start to understand that water is truly a very amazing commodity, but one that we have to be mindful of and it’s really small tweaks that we can make that would make a really big difference," she said.
These small changes include not letting the water run when you're brushing your teeth or washing the dishes, and taking shorter showers.
Hothi also said residents should take care of leaky faucets.
"We don’t recognize how many gallons of water that actually uses throughout a year. It really, really does add up," she said.
Officials say the restrictions have already left a positive impact on the environment.
“We have been having some great success within the system, being able to maintain and hold at those flows that are able to support the fisheries habitat in the aquatic ecosystem," said Connie Chapman, the acting director of the Water Management Branch at the Ministry of Forests.
Those who don't follow the water restrictions could get a $500 fine.
The restrictions are expected to stay in place until mid-October.
