Ashcroft Council has approved a policy that will set out outdoor watering guidelines for the residents.
The policy was brought forward and approved with little warning at the May 14 Council meeting, but “This is coming forward from a request from our Town Hall meeting (May 7),” said Mayor Andy Anderson.
He called it “just a first brush” and said the Council was looking for comments from the public.
In general, the policy states:
1. Houses with even house numbers can water on “even” days, odd numbers water on “odd” days;
2. No watering between 9 am and 5 pm;
3. No watering during high winds;
4. Sprinklers need to be repositioned every 20 minutes;
5. No watering of streets or sidewalks; and
6. Hoses need a backflow converter.
Coun. Jackie Tegart wanted to see hand watering included in the policy, noting that some people had outdoor potted plants that required daily watering.
Coun. Alice Durksen pointed out that according to the policy, there will be times when people can’t water two days in a row.
Mayor Anderson felt that the 20 minute rule might be nit picky, especially if a small yard only has one place to water.
“We wanted to bring it forward because it was something the public was interested in,” said Anderson. “And we brought it forward so we could look into it further.”
Coun. Helen Kormendy suggested that they look at water restriction policies in places with similar climates.
Coun. Tegart asked to have the Ashcroft Communities in Bloom committee look at the policy and provide feedback. “They may have networks who can give a different perspective,” she said, adding that the Village needed to look at how efficient its own system was.
“Public Works is already talking about how much water we can cut back and still keep it green,” said Mayor Anderson. “I agree, we need to be leaders in this.”
“Within the next 5-10 years, we expect that water meters will be mandatory province-wide,” said Ashcroft’s administrator, Michelle Allen.
The policy is still subject to change.