Water Efficiency Watering Schedule

Areas Included

The bylaw is in place all year long and applies to all people and businesses within the following participating municipalities and electoral areas that receive water from the Regional District: City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, as well as the Arden, Comox Valley, England Road, Marsden/Camco, and Greaves Crescent local water service areas.

*Bylaw Information

1. During stage 2

(a) A person may only use a sprinkler to water a lawn growing on a property with:

(i) an even numbered address, on Tuesday and Saturday between the hours of 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.. They may not use a sprinkler to water the lawn on any other day or time; and

(ii) an odd numbered address, on Wednesday and Sunday between the hours of 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.. They may not use a sprinkler to water the lawn on any other day or time.

(b) no person shall use water to wash sidewalks, driveways and parking lots except as necessary for applying a product such as paint, preservative and stucco, preparing a surface prior to paving or repointing bricks, or if required by law to comply with health or safety regulations; and

(c) a person may:

(i) water trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables with a sprinkler during the prescribed hours and days for stage 2 lawn watering and on any day at any time if watering is done by hand held container or a hand held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle;

(ii) water newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by any method during installation and for the following 24 hours;

(iii) use micro-irrigation or drip-irrigation systems to water trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables at any time on any day;

(iii) under the authority of a permit, water new sod on installation and during the first 21 days after installation, and water newly seeded lawns until growth is established or for 49 days after installation, whichever is less, with a sprinkler but only during the prescribed stage 2 lawn watering hours, and at any time if watering is done by a hand held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle;

(iv) water all-weather playing fields at any time if failure to do so will result in a permanent loss of plant material;

(v) wash exterior windows and building surfaces with water using a hand held container or hand held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle

(vi) wash a vehicle with water using a hand held container or hand held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle and at car dealerships and commercial car washes.

2. As exceptions to stage 2 restrictions

(a) Owners or occupiers of property who, by reason of physical or mental incapacity, are unable to water their property within the restricted days and times, may water their property on one day per week for a maximum of nine hours per day;

(b) Nurseries, farms, turf farms, and tree farms are exempted from the restrictions;

(c) Local governments are exempted from the restrictions

(d) Owners and operators of commercial pressure washing companies may use water but only as part of their normal business operations; and 

(e) Owners or operators of golf courses may water:

(i) fairways at any time on not more than two days per week;

(ii) trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables grown on golf courses in accordance with stage 2 sections 1 (c) (i), (ii), and (iii) of this schedule; and

(iii) golf greens and tees on any day if failure to do so will result in permanent loss of plant material.

Comox Valley Water Efficiency Bylaw

The bylaw is in place all year long and applies to all people and businesses within the following participating municipalities and electoral areas that receive water from the Regional District: City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, the Arden, Comox Valley, England Road, Marsden/Camco, and Greaves Crescent water local service areas.

Bylaw 129  is a three-stage water efficiency bylaw. The public will be notified of the current stage of water restrictions through posted newspaper, website and radio notices.

Lawn Sprinkling Permit

Schedule B of Bylaw 129

1. 1. During stage 1 and 2, a person/resident in an electoral area or a municipality who has installed a new lawn, either newly seeded or new sod, may apply to the Comox Valley Regional District
   property services branch or to the municipality respectively for a permit, which will allow the new lawn to be sprinkled with water outside of permitted days, but within the restricted hours. The
   permit shall be conspicuously displayed at the premises for which it was issued.
2. The Comox Valley Regional District property services branch or the municipality may issue a
   permit to an applicant pursuant to section 1 and 2 upon payment to the Comox Valley Regional
   District property services branch or the municipality of a fee in the amount of $30.00.
3. New sod may be watered for 21 days after installation and newly seeded lawn may be watered
   until growth is established or for 49 days after installation, whichever is less, provided a permit
   pursuant to section 1 has been issued for the premises at which the new lawn has been installed.
4. Permits will not be issued or be valid during stage 3 restrictions.

Download Lawn Sprinkling Permit application

(Town of Comox or City of Courtenay residents will have to purchase their permit directly from the municipality)

Water Conservation Bylaw 129 Amendments
	Information on the Amendments
	Bylaw 129 Frequently Asked Questions
	Adopted Bylaw 129 - Complete

For further info on water efficiency visit the following links

	Water Efficiency Plan
	It's a Big Deal
	Rebates
	Water Conservation Bylaw 129
	Water Restrictions
	Water Saving Tips
	WaterWise
	Living Water Smart
	Water Calculator

Rebate Program Links

	2010 Rebate Program
	Toilet FAQs
	Rainbarrel FAQs
	Rebate Application Form
	City of Courtenay Commercial Rebate
	News Release