Vancouver to switch off non

The City of Vancouver says five decorative water fountains that were given an exemption from water bylaws will be turned off to comply with Metro Vancouver’s Stage 2 water restrictions.

Vancouver’s ABC-led city council and park board voted this spring to exempt five decorative water fixtures from bylaws requiring they recirculate water, while prioritizing them for retrofitting to prevent water wastage in the future.

The fountains, which had been switched off for several years, are located at Pacific and Beach avenues, the Laurel Street Land Bridge, Helmcken Plaza, Barclay Heritage Square and Haro and Bute streets.

The move was opposed by the park board’s single Green commissioner, who argued the features each waste up to one million litres of drinking water per year.

Amid persistent drought conditions, the Metro Vancouver Regional District is activating Stage 2 water restrictions effective Aug. 4. It is the first time the region has moved to Stage 2 restrictions since the historic 2015 summer drought.

The regional district said that water usage this year has been about 20 per cent higher than in 2022.

Under the Stage 2 restrictions, all lawn watering is banned, as is filling aesthetic water features like fountains and washing impermeable surfaces like driveways and sidewalks.

Residents can water trees, shrubs and flowers by hand or using soaker hoses or drip irrigation at any time, or using a sprinkler between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Watering vegetables remains permitted at any time.

A City of Vancouver spokesperson said the five fountains will be switched off, and that the city would provide more details on how the restrictions will affect other water features on city property this week.