| Water Shortage Response Plan review occurring now | Water Shortage Response Plan review occurring now | <div class="ExternalClass39A4B0B775B847C68A2955D299B82C0B"><p>Metro Vancouver’s Water Services Department provides clean, high-quality drinking water to our members, who in turn supply water to over 2.4 million residents and businesses in the Lower Mainland. Approximately one billion litres of water flows through our taps every day. In the summer this amount can double.</p><p>The summer of 2015 was particularly hot and dry, and came on the heels of a record low snow pack and unusually dry spring. The hot weather drove up the demand for water at a time when our supply was lower than average. </p><p>For situations like this, the region has a <a href="/services/water/about/plans/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><font color="#1b84c9">Water Shortage Response Plan</font></a> (WSRP). The plan includes four stages. Most of us are familiar with Stage 1, commonly called the <a href="/services/water/water-conservation/lawn-sprinkling/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><em><font color="#1b84c9">Sprinkling Regulations</font></em></a>. Less familiar, and less commonly activated are Stages 2 to 4, which reduce or prohibit water uses in addition to lawn sprinkling; commercial pressure washing, water fountains, spray parks without shut-off valves, and public fields and parks watering are some examples.</p><p>The plan was developed in 1993, and has been updated two times since. Those updates include shifting sprinkling away from peak evening hours to mornings only, and adding Stage 4 for emergency situations (earthquake, fire, infrastructure damage etc). </p><p>Metro Vancouver is currently reviewing the Water Shortage Response Plan with our members, the businesses affected in summer 2015 in Stages 2 and 3, the broader public and other neighbouring jurisdictions. The intention is to review the impacts of the plan as it was activated in 2015 and determine what adjustments can be made in the future. Any adjustments will occur in consultation with our members and align with any required adoptions or bylaw changes. </p></div> | http://www.metrovancouver.org/metroupdate/PublishingImages/issue15-watershortage.jpg | 2015-11-30T08:00:00Z | GP0|#100994a7-ccf5-41d6-898e-bf1437a726ba;L0|#0100994a7-ccf5-41d6-898e-bf1437a726ba|Issue 15;GTSet|#d14ffe11-45dc-48fb-8684-ff109cf15a74 | <div class="ExternalClassF87720A6267341CDA079CB0333A188F6"><p>The summer of 2015 was particularly hot and dry, and came on the heels of a record low snow pack and unusually dry spring. The hot weather drove up the demand for water at a time when our supply was lower than average. Metro Vancouver is currently reviewing the Water Shortage Response Plan.</p></div> | 0 | |
