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Warm weather; use less water says City of Kimberley staff

With the warm weather setting in, water restrictions are often in effect for Kimberley when water is flowing at a low rate through Mark Creek.
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Using low-flow fixtures and a timer on your automated sprinkler system are some ways to conserve water. (Corey Bullock/Kimberley Bulletin)

With the warm weather setting in, water restrictions are often in effect for Kimberley when water is flowing at a low rate through Mark Creek.

Director of Operations for The City of Kimberley, Mike Fox says that the flow of water over the Mark Creek Dam has slowed, but it is not currently an issue.

“[This] does not affect residents until there is low water; then the City has to put on restrictions,” said Fox. “Follow the by-law and use less water; low flow fixtures, reducing the pressure on their house by adjusting their pressure reducing valve and use water timers on sprinklers.”

Water restrictions are outlined on the City of Kimberley website under by-law no. 2527. That by-law says, “If no restriction is in force on June 1st of any year, stage one restrictions come into force automatically on that date without prior declaration of the Manager, Operations &Environment Services…”

As the City of Kimberley website states, “Kimberley’s water consumption is far higher than the Canadian average, [which is about 120,000 litres per year]. In an effort to make Kimberley’s water use more efficient and effective, the City has implemented the following mandatory outdoor water measures.”

Residents of properties with even-numbered addresses water only on even-numbered calendar days (e.g. Aug 2,4,6 etc.).

Residents of properties with odd-numbered addresses water only on odd-numbered calendar days (e.g. Aug 1,3,5 etc.).

Watering is to be done only between the hours of 4a.m. to 10a.m. and 6p.m. to 10p.m.

Automatic irrigation systems usually offer the option of activating the system at specified times. Optimum times are between the hours of 12 midnight and 4a.m. using the odd/even system described above.

All outdoor hoses should be equipped with spring-loaded shut-off nozzles for any use by hand.

Hand watering of plants using a hose with a spring-loaded shut-off nozzle or hand-held container can be done at any time.

More frequent watering of newly laid sod or newly seeded lawn is expected. Please call City Hall to advise if you plan additional watering for new lawns.

“During the growing season, water use can increase by as much as 50 per cent. While lawns require a lot of water, much of this water is wasted due to over-watering and evaporation,” said the website. “During the hottest months (July - August) you only need an inch and a half to two inches of water to your lawn each week, divided into two or three applications depending on rainfall amounts. Apply less water during spring and fall, perhaps one-half inch per week.”

Other ways to save water outside include:

Use a bucket and sponge to clean your vehicle, and then only spray at the end to rinse off the soap.

Sweep your driveway instead of spraying it with a hose.

Cover swimming pools when they are not in use. This reduces evaporation dramatically.

Squirt guns or small plastic containers filled with water are as effective at keeping children cool on a hot day as running a sprinkler.

Operate decorative fountains only when you’re there to enjoy them.

For more information on water restrictions and conservation, visit the City of Kimberley website at www.kimberley.ca. Click on the services tab, then water-services and water-conservation, or visit wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve.



Corey Bullock

About the Author: Corey Bullock

Corey Bullock is a multimedia journalist and writer who grew up in Burlington, Ontario.
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