The City of Fernie is moving forwards with plans to update its water bylaws following the prolonged period of drought last summer.
The City is drafting two new bylaws and making changes to a pre-existing bylaw that will instate restrictions on water usage for residents and businesses during periods of dry weather.
These new changes were given third reading by council on June 11, but have yet to be officially adopted.
"We're just trying to modernize our bylaws such that it deals with issues that we increasingly see every year, largely driven by climate change," said Mayor Nic Milligan.
The B.C River Forecast Centre has indicated the province could be headed for another significant spell of dry weather this summer, due to low seasonal snowpack and an early snowmelt. A report from June 15 found the East Kootenay snowpack was sitting at 74 per cent of normal, and that the provincial average across all regions was even lower at 38 per cent of normal. It also recorded a very early start to the snow melt in April at low elevations.
The City relied on voluntary water restriction last year, and although Milligan said residents were cooperative, he added that official policy still needs to be updated to reflect this in writing. New policy is based off pre-existing water regulations in Cranbrook.
The restrictions will follow four tiered stages, that will be implemented based on reservoir and tributary water levels.
Stage 1:
The first stage will be in effect yearly from March 1 to Oct. 15, with watering limited to three days per week for up to two hours at a time, between 5 to 10 a.m. or 8 to 11 p.m for lawns, 5 to 10 a.m. for trees and shrubs in residential areas, and 1 to 9 a.m., for trees and shrubs in non-residential areas.
Property owners with newly seeded lawns and turf, and newly planted trees and shrubs can apply for a daily watering permit to water between the hours of 5 to 10 a.m. and 8 to 11 p.m. Permit applications fees range from $25 to $100, depending on the level of housing density in the neighbourhood and whether the property is located in a residential or industrial area. The permit must be displayed on the property line.
These restrictions do not apply to gardens, sports fields, car washes, city operations, city parks and workers curing concrete. Landscapers will also be exempt from the restrictions, providing they purchase a permit.
Stage 2:
Stage two takes effect when the water reservoir has dropped to 90 per cent of normal capacity and tributaries have dropped to 50 per cent of normal.
Watering will be reduced to two days per week for two hours at a time, with the same hours as stage one for lawns, trees, and shrubs, and the same exceptions as stage one.
According to the City's director of engineering and public works Dustin Haeusler, Fernie only reached stage two conditions last summer.
Stage 3:
Stage three is introduced when the reservoir drops to 80 per cent of normal and tributaries have run dry.
Watering of grass will be limited to once per week for up to one hour at a time, but watering of trees and shrubs will not be permitted and there will be no special exception for newly planted vegetation, unless the person is a landscaper who applied for a watering permit prior to the implementation of stage three.
Other exceptions include vegetable gardens, sports fields, car washes, city operations, workers curing concrete and the spray park.
Stage 4:
The final stage is implemented when the reservoir drops to 70 per cent of normal and tributaries have run dry.
Very limited watering will be allowed for grass, and watering of trees and shrubs will not be permitted, even for those with newly planted vegetation. Only landscapers who purchased a watering permit prior to stage three and essential city operations will be granted exemptions.
There will be fines for residents and businesses who water outside the recommended dates and times, and fines for waste of water that council will discuss in further detail prior to adoption.
Haeusler stated in an e-mail that there will be a two month grace period to educate the public about the new regulations, where the city will give out warnings rather than fines.
Water conservation has become all the more important in recent years, with the city's primary water source exhibiting more turbidity and its secondary source containing high levels of selenium.
Milligan said the city is seeing more turbidity in its primary water source at Fairy Creek due to longer periods of intense heat, which makes the water not suitable for drinking, and forces the city to switch to its secondary source, the James White Park wells.
"In periods of prolonged high heat, calcium carbonate starts to precipitate out into the water, and it creates a milky hue in our water. Consequently, we'll fail our turbidity testing, and we'll have to supplement with our James White wells," he explained.
But with the high levels of selenium present in the James White Park wells at certain times of the year that exceed the government's acceptable limit of 10 parts per billion, the city is not always be able to rely on its secondary source when it needs it, leading to more boil water advisories for turbid water.
Milligan said this could pose a significant challenge in the coming months, particularly in late summer when the Elk River is at its lowest and contains higher amounts of selenium.
Milligan said a potential location for a new secondary well has been identified in the Lizard Creek area south of Fernie, but that testing is still ongoing to determine if the site will supply enough water for the community and if the water is suitable for drinking. A timeline for completion has not yet been established yet.
"It's definitely an operational challenge," Milligan remarked. "Because of the selenium content in the James White wells, we can't switch to them, so we have to extend the water quality advisory for our Fairy Creek source."
For more information, visit Let's Talk Fernie at wwww.letstalk.fernie.ca.