Cumberland, B.C. - The Village of Cumberland and those properties connected to the Royston water system will move to stage three water restrictions starting on July 20, 2015 due to lower than usual water levels in the Cumberland Creek and Perseverence Creek watersheds resulting from the lack of significant rainfall over the last few months.
The stage three restrictions, along with a reduction in hours at the Cumberland children’s water spray park, are necessary to maintain a sufficient supply of community water through the summer and fall. The Village is looking at other methods to reduce the amount of water being used at the spray park, but a reduction in hours will also be necessary as the park is using up to 120m3 of water a day. The water from the spray park drains into the Cumberland wetlands and into the Trent River.
“Residents are doing a great job conserving water and reducing their outdoor water use,” says Mayor Leslie Baird. “The move in Cumberland and Royston to metered water has also made a positive impact on reducing water use. Moving to stage three is a preventative step to make sure we have enough water to last over the summer in case we don’t receive enough rain in the coming weeks to fill the reservoirs.”
Stage three requires all homeowners to limit outdoor water use and to water your garden and trees only in the early mornings and evenings to reduce the amount of evaporation from the sun. The use of mulch in the garden is another effective way to reduce evaporation. Residents are encouraged to water around the base of plants slowly, deeply and less frequently. Light, frequent watering can be harmful to plants as it encourages shallow root growth.
The following activities are prohibited during stage three restrictions: watering lawns and washing driveways; filling a swimming pool or hot tub; washing a vehicle or a boat except at a commercial car wash using less than 57 litres of water. These water restrictions apply to all Cumberland residents and to Royston properties connected to the Royston water system.
Background:
Cumberland and Royston community drinking water comes from five lakes located in the Cumberland Creek and Perseverance Creek sub-watersheds of the Comox Lake watershed, as well as a ground source at Coal Creek Historic Park, servings approximately 5500 residents. On average, 1500m3 is drawn from the reservoirs each day and 600m3 is drawn from the well. At full storage capacity the reservoirs hold 891,000 m3 of water.