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Cranbrook, BC (August 24, 2023) – Effective at midnight on Sunday, August 27, 2023, the City of Cranbrook is mandating the move to Stage 3 watering restrictions until further notice.

This means you are required to reduce your outdoor water use to only one day per week. Even numbered addresses can water on Thursday only and odd numbered addresses can water on Tuesday only between 6am and 8am and 8pm and 10pm. No watering is allowed any other day of the week.

Use of manual sprinklers is no longer allowed. You may continue to water your lawn, trees and shrubs and flower gardens using a hose with a shut-off nozzle or in-ground irrigation system only. This change does not impact your ability to water your vegetable gardens or edible plants.

All other outdoor water use is no longer allowed until further notice. The full list of watering regulations includes:

• watering reduced to one day per week
• watering vegetable gardens and edible plants with an automatic shut-off nozzle only or in-ground irrigation system only (no manual sprinklers)
• watering lawns, trees, shrubs, and flower gardens with an automatic shut-off nozzle or in-ground irrigation system only (no manual sprinklers)
• no washing of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, building surfaces or windows
• no washing of personal vehicles
• no filling of pools, hot tubs, ponds, or fountains
• no watering of new sod and seed (no exemption permits issued)

“The entire East Kootenay has been elevated to Drought Level 5, and given that the Phillips Reservoir is continuing to drop we must move to Stage 3 watering restrictions,” says Jason Perrault, Acting Deputy Director of Public Works.

The Province of British Columbia raised the entire East Kootenay region to Drought Level 5 on Thursday, August 24, 2023, having previously been under Drought Level 4 since July 14, 2023. The Province is requesting the maximum voluntary water use reduction, and thus the City is mandating Stage 3 watering restrictions.

“We appreciate those that voluntarily moved to Stage 3 watering restrictions last week to help conserve water but now everyone must abide these restrictions,” says Mayor Wayne Price. “It is imperative that we continue to conserve water to help slow the reduction of the Phillips Reservoir.”

We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will share any changes or new information with you as we move through the coming weeks.

For more information about provincial drought levels in our area, you can visit the Drought Portal.

For more information about water conservation, outdoor watering restrictions, tips on saving water indoors and outdoors, visit https://cranbrook.ca/residents/water-conservation.