Water Shortage Response Plan Amended

Metro-Vancouver released its amended Water Shortage Reponse Plan (WSRP) May 6, 2016.  The most obvious change from the previous pollicy is an automatic activation of Stage 1 restrictions on May 15 of each year.

 The full WSRP can be downloaded at the bottom of this article. Here's an excerpt from the plan:

The purpose of the Water Shortage Response Plan (WSRP) is to manage demand for drinking water during the summer months, and if necessary during times of emergencies. This is important because:

• rainfall is lowest and demand is highest in the summer
• storage, transmission and distribution system capacities are limited
• continued population and industrial growth have led to increased demand
• water shortages may result from unforeseen emergency situations (e.g. earthquakes, major service disruptions, etc.)

The WSRP focuses on reducing demand for outdoor water use. If persistent drought conditions occur, the WSRP contains actions that will produce significant reductions in daily water demand in the region. The WSRP uses a staged approach, ranging from an initial standard level of water restrictions combined with timely and effective public notification to be automatically implemented each summer season, through to a highest level of restrictions intended for emergencies affecting the delivery of water.

On behalf of its membership, the WCTA continues to work with Metro-Vancouver independently, through AGA-BC and in coordination with other groups like the BCLNA, in regards to promoting the environmental, social and economical benefits of actively growing turf.