Water and Sewer

Providing clean water to the community is one of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality's biggest expense. Due mostly to outdoor watering and vehicle washing, this expense doubles in the summer months. In an effort to combat such over-consumption, Regional Council maintains a Water Use Restrictions Bylaw. In accordance with this bylaw:

• Houses with even-numbered street addresses can water (lawns/gardens etc.) on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
• Houses with odd-numbered street addresses can water (lawns/gardens etc.) on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
• Permitted watering can only occur between the hours of 5:00 am to 9:00 am and 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

These restrictions are actively enforced - fines range from $100 - $500.

EXCEPTIONS to Water Restrictions include:

• Newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables can be watered during installation and for the following 24-hour period.
• New sod or newly seeded lawn can be watered during the first 7 days after installation on any day – but ONLY during the prescribed watering hours, being 5:00 am to 9:00 am and 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

 Stage 1: Reduced Watering

• Allowed Watering Times: Only between 5:00 am – 9:00 am on prescribed watering days.
  • Prescribed days as follows: 
    • Houses with even-numbered street addresses can water (lawns/gardens etc.) on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
    • Houses with odd-numbered street addresses can water (lawns/gardens etc.) on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
• Not Allowed:
  • Watering lawns, gardens, trees, or shrubs outside of allowed times.
  • Washing driveways, sidewalks, or parking lots.
  • Washing exterior building surfaces.
• Exceptions:
  • Businesses like car washes and nurseries can use water as usual for essential operations.

Stage 2: Hand Watering Only

• Not Allowed:
  • Using automatic or built-in watering systems.
  • Washing driveways, sidewalks, or exterior walls.
• Allowed (with restrictions):
  • Hand watering with a container or hose with shut-off nozzle:
    • For trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables.
    • For newly planted vegetation during and 24 hours after planting.
  • Vehicle washing with a container or shut-off hose, or at commercial car washes.
  • Filling or topping up pools, hot tubs, ponds, and fountains.
• Municipal Action: May reduce spray park hours.
• Businesses: Car washes, nurseries, etc. can operate as usual if water is essential to their business.

Stage 3: In-Home Water Use Only

• Not Allowed:
  • All outdoor watering, even for new plants or lawns.
  • Filling or topping up pools, hot tubs, or ponds.
  • Washing vehicles, sidewalks, driveways, or buildings.
• Allowed:
  • Operating pools, hot tubs, ponds, or fountains only if they recirculate water.
• Municipal Action: May reduce hours or close the spray park.
• Businesses: All non-essential water use is prohibited unless specially permitted.

FATS, OILS AND GREASE are the biggest problem in our sewer systems today!  These substances solidify and affix themselves to the main.  These “fat blobs” then attract and collect other substances which just add to the size of the blobs, creating blockages and restrictions.  Other items that should not be placed in your drains include:

The above is just an example of items that should not enter the sewer system.  These are damaging to both private lines and public lines and cause major problems for everyone.

Any solid matter that you put down the toilet or drainpipe has the potential to cause blockages in both the public sewer and your private service. This can lead to:

• Raw sewage overflowing in your home or your neighbour's home
• An expensive and unpleasant cleanup
• Raw sewage overflowing into yards, and streets
• Potential contact with disease-causing organisms and
• An increase in operation and maintenance costs for local sewer departments

Private services (the part of the network between your home and the public sewer) use narrow pipe-work and sometimes have bends in them where solid objects can lodge and cause blockages. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain private drainage systems.

Stage 1 - Reduced watering. During this stage, the follow restrictions are in place:

• Watering Restrictions: Watering of lawns, gardens, trees, or shrubs is permitted only between 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM on designated days.
• No Washing: Washing driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, or exterior building surfaces is not allowed.

EXCEPTIONS to Water Restrictions include:

• Newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables can be watered during installation and for the following 24-hour period.
• New sod or newly seeded lawn can be watered during the first 7 days after installation on any day – but ONLY during the prescribed watering hours, being 7 am and 11 am.
  
  Please note: Persistent Non-compliance may result in fines.

We’re adjusting watering times to:

• Improve water efficiency

• Give some additional time time to replenish treated water supply

• Conserve the supply in raw water ponds

Based on community usage data, mornings were selected as the ideal window for watering to ensure that supply is available when people use it most in their homes (evenings). Watering outdoors during cooler times like mornings reduces evaporation losses and helps manage water supply more effectively, like when a majority of homes are using it for primary needs (e.g. dishwashing, baths/showers, laundry) in the evenings.

During hot spells, our Water Treatment Plant needs to operate continuously to meet high water demand and ensure there is enough flow and supply for firefighting emergencies.  If there is a similar 24/7 demand on the water system from usage, it allows no room for equipment failure to occur.

It’s important to keep the raw water ponds full for longer periods, to avoid pulling water from the river during times (Summer) when the water quality (not necessarily the level) is reduced and more intense to treat.  This also helps to save on treatment costs and maintain better water quality. 

The cost of providing potable water to residents (pumping, treating and distributing) is only partially, and minimally funded by user fees (the money collected from water bills).  Times of higher usage mean higher costs to run the system, while the amount of funds collected through water bills remains the same.  While the NRRM does receive grants for the water system they are exclusively for capital (to replace or expand equipment), no operational costs to operate the water system is covered.

Allowing lawns to go dormant during dry spells encourages deeper root growth, making grass more drought-tolerant and resilient. This natural process helps your lawn recover more effectively when conditions improve and reduces the need for excessive watering, conserving valuable resources.

We understand that some businesses may require increased water use. We welcome your feedback and are open to discussing how we can balance conservation efforts with your needs.  Please contact us at pwmgmt@northernrockies.ca

Health standards require that the water in spray parks is at a drinking water standard, and recirculating would require the Spray Park to have a stand-alone full water treatment system which is extremely costly to operate and maintain for a seasonal asset. 

Water usage is managed at the spray park with timers and motion sensors on the
equipment. Reduced hours are under consideration.

For more details on regulations, page 45 for Spray Pools: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/loo64/loo64/289_72