| |||||||||
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|||
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
||||||
5 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
||||
12 |
15 |
17 |
18 |
||||||
19 |
20 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
||||
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
|||||
| For immediate release May 28, 2010 |
|
CVRD Bylaw Updates Aim for More Efficient Water Use
The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is moving to update its water conservation bylaw to help reduce the maximum “peak demands” that occur each summer due to heavy outdoor water use.
“In the summer, peak water demand can be triple that of normal winter demand,” said Marc Rutten, CVRD’s senior manager of engineering services. Although higher flows are expected in summer as people do more activities outdoors -- using water to wash vehicles and homes and to maintain their landscape -- it’s still important to keep the peaks as low as possible.”
Peak summer water flows are used as criteria for the design of new water system infrastructure. The higher the peak flow, the larger the new infrastructure needs to be. By reducing peak flows, the size of new infrastructure can be reduced and the service life of existing infrastructure increased. This translates into significant costs savings for residents.
The water conservation bylaw has been updated to guide residents in using water more efficiently. Two day per week watering restrictions will now be in place for a longer, more consistent, period of time throughout the summer and will correspond with historical increases in water demand. The changes still allow ample opportunity to maintain a healthy landscape. In addition to the bylaw changes, the CVRD, the City of Courtenay and the Town of Comox have renewed their commitment to enforce the restrictions contained within the bylaw and have secured additional resources to assist with summer patrols.
Highlights of the bylaw revisions include:
- Implementing stage two restrictions from June 1 to September 30
- Streamlining and updating the process for moving between stages
- Enabling restrictions to be determined based on the need to reduce peak water demands and to deal with operational limits
The CVRD board approved the bylaw updates at its meeting on May 25 and the bylaw changes are now in effect. The bylaw, as well as frequently asked questions, can be found at www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/waterefficiency
The Comox Valley Regional District is a federation of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing sustainable services for residents and visitors to the area. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.
Media contact:
Marc Rutten, senior manager of engineering services
Tel: 250-334-6080