Metro Vancouver moves to Stage 3 water restrictions Monday
No lawn watering, no pool fills. Here's what changes for residents starting June 9.
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Metro Vancouver water restrictions tighten Monday, moving to Stage 3 as the region faces a low snowpack and dry summer ahead.
Under Stage 3, all lawn watering is banned. Pools, hot tubs, and decorative water features can't be filled or refilled. If you want to wash your car, you'll need to visit a commercial car wash — home hose-downs are out. You can still water vegetable gardens and use a spring-loaded nozzle or drip irrigation for trees and shrubs, and you're allowed to wash windows, mirrors, lights, licence plates, and boat engines for safety.
The region's water utility is managing the supply carefully after last winter produced less snowmelt than usual. Environment Canada is forecasting a hotter-than-normal summer for B.C., driven by both human-caused climate change and a strong El Niño developing in the tropical Pacific. The federal weather agency says there's a 100 per cent probability that parts of southern B.C., including Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, will see above-normal temperatures.
This is the tightest restriction the region has imposed in recent years. Stage 3 stays in place until water levels recover.