Water restrictions are in effect for Mission and Abbotsford.
The two cities entered stage one on May 1, with restrictions expected to last until the start of fall. The official end of restrictions will depend on weather and drought conditions, supply availability, and snowpack.
"While our water system can easily meet average day demands, our summer demands can be much higher. Water restrictions are in place to benefit the whole community and ensure that we continue to have a reliable quantity of water available all summer," the Abbotsford Mission Water & Sewer Services website reads.
Under stage one restrictions, lawn watering is only permitted once per week for both residential and industrial properties. Automatic watering is allowed between 5 and 7 a.m., while manual watering is permitted between 6 and 9 a.m. – on Saturdays for even-numbered addresses and Sundays for odd-numbered addresses.
If a sprinkler or soaker hose is used, watering trees, shrubs, and flowers is restricted between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. on any given day during stage one.
Non-compliance is met with a warning notice with educational content on a first offence, with a possible fine on subsequent offences. Fines for stage one violations are $500 in Abbotsford and $250 in Mission.
Water restrictions follow four stages, which are tied to multiple factors.
"Water restrictions are based on several considerations [including] snowpack; current and forecasted available supply – Dickson Lake level, Cannell Lake level, and the Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer levels; antecedent weather and soil conditions, precipitation and temperature forecast, extreme heat warnings; Norrish Creek flows; Provincial drought levels; recent water consumption and forecasted trends; customer compliance with restrictions; and any other factor the Engineer considers to be relevant for making a determination," the website reads.
Staged Water Restrictions were modified in 2024 so that the regional water supply could better respond to more challenging drought conditions anticipated as an impact of climate change.
