Metro Vancouver asked to cut water use as heat arrives
Residents used 1.22 billion litres Friday, below the 1.4 billion target, but officials urge further savings as temperatures climb to 31 C inland.
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Metro Vancouver residents are meeting water-conservation targets, but regional officials are asking people to keep cutting use as a heat wave arrives this weekend.
On Friday, June 13, the region used 1.22 billion litres of water — below the 1.4 billion-litre target set under current restrictions. But temperatures are climbing fast: Environment Canada forecasts highs of 31 C inland and 24 C near the water by Sunday, and water demand typically spikes during hot spells.
Current restrictions already ban sprinkler and soaker-hose use. Metro Vancouver is now urging residents to skip outdoor watering entirely if possible, to keep daily consumption under 1.4 billion litres. The regional authority says lower water pressure — the result of exceeding targets — could impair first responders' ability to fight fires and respond to emergencies.
"If everyone keeps their sprinklers off, we can meet this reasonable target," Metro Vancouver chair Mike Hurley said in a statement Friday. Hurley called on residents to avoid non-essential outdoor watering.
The 1.4-billion-litre target is temporary. Metro Vancouver has set it while upgrading its water supply infrastructure, including work to connect a century-old system and construct a bypass for the First Narrows Crossing. Once the bypass is complete — expected by the end of July — the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel project can resume, and current restrictions may be lifted if conditions allow.