I don’t really understand how our water system works in PG. It just seems odd to me that we have 2 rivers flowing through our city and both are running high right now, but we are told the water is low. I absolutely agree that our fire dept get priority over anybody, but it still seems weird to me. Oh well…yellow lawns for all of us. Let’s just all stay safe.

another bylaw they can’t and probably have no intentions of enforcing.

CWM…? : You could have a point IF we get our water pumped into the water lines directly from the river(s). BUT, you may have noticed all the cement reservoirs spotted throughout the city and they have only a set capacity. Probably if the city were to install a dozen or more additional reservoirs we may not have the problems of ‘yellow lawns’. Of course, our city property taxes would increase! The answer: ‘Metered water’. Horrors, you say – yes indeed. But with metered water and/or more reservoirs your concerns will most probably be resolved!
bcracer: I think you will find all bylaw officers out in full force at all hours of the day (and night).

nuffsnuff1, why would you think that bylaw officers will be out in full force at all hours of the day (and night)?

We already had watering restrictions in place prior to this new watering ban. Even numbered houses on even numbered days, odd numbered houses on odd numbered days, and no watering between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

In my neighbourhood, you don’t have to look very hard or very far to see lots and lots of people watering lawns on days that they aren’t supposed to be. One of the people down my block often has a sprinkler going for hours with half of the water landing out in the street and a river flowing down the road to the storm drain.

We are also supposed to keep our garbage secured so that we do not attract bears. Go up and down my block and many others and what do you see? Lots and lots of garbage bins stored in the driveway or beside the house.

So, where are the Bylaw Officers? They are certainly not out enforcing our existing watering restrictions, so why would you expect that they will suddenly be out enforcing these new additional restrictions?

OK Hart Guy: If you see infractions, why don’t you report them? On watering, it is YOUR RESOURCE that they are squandering. Where is YOUR responsibility? Quit bitching and do something about it!

So, I’m supposed to stand out there with a hose in my hand, watering my lawn? NOT!!
No mechanical sprinklers eh, I don’t think many will believe the ‘new’ restrictions.

ok nuffstuff1, looks like you didn’t like my comment! Married to a bylaw officer, are you?

For your information, I used to call bylaw services but they did/do nothing! So, what’s the point in calling them?

I did speak with the City a few years ago regarding water meters. Previously, I lived in a city that had water meters. People were far more responsible with their water usage. So far, PG would prefer to keep jacking up our water and sewer rates instead of considering the use of water meters!

So, nuffstuff1, what have you done to preserve YOUR RESOURCE? Have you exercised YOUR responsibility? Or are you still bitching or are you actually doing something about it?

Hart Guy I work downtown and I can assure you the by-law officers are heavily patrolling the area between Tim Hortons and the police station. Why do you care anyway? Its not like the Hart is part of the city. It’s over the bridge, does anyone even live there?

As usual there are ignorant selfish people who don’t care about anyone else so they water anytime they feel like it, park vehicles for weeks straight on the road, never moving them, leaving garbage all over, have their garbage cans so full that the crows and ravens get into them etc..

Most of us follow the cities rules and that’s who the city relies on to help save water etc.

So true P Val!

Hart Guy, it is simple, bylaws seldom work weekends and almost never at night.

Rats ! I knew I should have watered last night. I will try to keep an eye on the soccer fields tomorrow to see if the City practices what it preaches.

So, the splash park at the LTM park is a casualty of the water restrictions…but drive by the civic centre, water fountains going full blast.

FYI Hart Guy.

All new houses and buildings.

Built in the last 7 years have water meters.

Please no water meters, we just had a 2.5 percent increase in taxes. I will just hand water with a wand.

We have lots of water. The problem is the city pumps are to small to fill the reservoirs. Again short term planning by the city.

Logical One. The new houses have water meters, however they are not charged by the amount of water they use, in fact I doubt if the meters are even looked at. It would be pretty hard to charge those with meters while those without meters can waste water all day.

I know today at 3 the college heights secondary field was getting its dose of water. What’s up with that.

So, all these underground automatic sprinkler systems are going to be shut off? How about the precious soccer fields, the lawn around city hall, the lawns at the fire halls, will the city quit watering them? I think the civic facilities should be watched, to see how many are shut down.

Palopu.

We have a water metre and yes they are read and billed every three months. When we water grass they also charge a higher percentage for sewer (yes it is based on water usage and it is a higher cost than water). So when we water the grass we pay a crazy amount for sewer too. The city has no problem charging us through the nose when others waste water like crazy.

Lovin my underground sprinklers :-). Not much chance a bylaw person it out at 5am…lol

This isn’t about conserving water. The story says the pumps can’t keep up with demand. So maybe a few more higher capacity pumps are in order to fill the reservoirs. @Fate .. don’t you know fountains recycle the same water, it isn’t a waterfall afterall.

Two weeks of hot weather and we are on water restrictions? Maybe the current water system can’t keep up with the expanding subdivisions going up? Sort of runs in concert with the roads. ;)

@ 2far gone; Do you live in Prince George?

@Bent…as opposed to the splash park at LTM park?

Apparently the bylaw officers weren’t out and about last night or this morning. People all over my neighbourhood have their sprinklers going. They’re probably too busy worrying about people parking on the downtown streets before 8am…

So, I suggest the fountain at the civic centre become the new water park for the kids. Hopefully, the single moms can afford bus rides to get there. Civic facilities that continue to let the sprinklers, fountains etc go….the general public should be allowed to take advantage of the water being used.

The truth, another case of the City’s poor infrastructure not meeting the Citizens needs. Don’t forget to get out to celebrate all your City has done for you and your taxes for the last 100 years.

We live surrounded by forests. We have green belts throughout the city. Seems pretty simple to me, if you want the fire department to put out fires ensure there is enough water in the reservoirs. Stop wasting water. The city wouldn’t put restrictions on if they didn’t feel it was necessary.

The city bans the use of mechanical sprinklers and unattended hoses.
It does not restrict the use of hand watering implements such as watering cans.
It also sounds that it does not band the use of attended hoses.

On my walk his morning, there was someone using a soaker hose. That is not a mechanical sprinkler, but it is an unintended hose.

Which then begs the question, how are people who are hermits as far as local news goes supposed to know that there are restrictions on?

I have some much simpler options.
1. If you have a lawn, do not cut the grass any shorter than 4 to 6 inches. My “grass” combination of clover and actual grass, such as one finds in city parks all over the place, has stayed green throughout the last few weeks of little to no rain.
2. Reduce the amount of lawn and get easier to care for draught resistant plants, stones, mulch, etc.
In Washington state, the “lawns” are brown. The California draught seems to be moving north.

Change your way of thinking. Adjust. Humans are adaptive animals.

Do the water restrictions not apply to golf courses? PGG&CC are sprinkling this morning…

“don’t you know fountains recycle the same water, it isn’t a waterfall after all.”

Do you know whether that is true?

Just think of the water spray park and the fountain at the Civic Plaza, for instance.

Kids and some adults play in it. The recycled water would pick up dirt from the ground, dirt from people, etc. It would be “grey water”. It would become a safety issue.

On the other hand, one could begin to actually have separate grey water systems for irrigation such as they have in some communities in Arizona, as an example. The rotaract spray park could draw its water from the river, if water would not have to be drinking quality. Storm sewers could lead into irrigation ponds rather than the river. As long as we do not have total drought, recycling water for irrigation purposes would be quite appropriate.

Farm irrigation water is channeled to farms that need it from rivers and augmented from deep wells when needed and available. Let gravity to the work. The Romans use to rely on gravity, not pumps.

Virginia City in Nevada uses a siphon system to siphon water out of Lake Tahoe, down the Washoe Valley and back up the other side to the town.

Golf courses and Starbucks are exempt. As are car wash facilities.

I mean, if we were serious about keeping the recycling of water down to a minimum, we would have to start looking at how it is done in areas that have much less water than we have access to. The actual waste is in the overly simplified system we have in place. It tells us how little water use has presented a concern to us in the past.