From noon on Monday, June 12, through to the evening of Friday, June 16, the City of Prince George will be implementing an outdoor watering ban affecting lawn sprinklers and unattended hoses both on residential and city property.
The ban does not restrict the use of hand-held watering implements, such as watering cans and hoses being held in-hand. The restrictions also do not affect normal household water use for drinking, cooking, or washing. The City may continue to water sports fields and select annual gardens on City property that cannot be watered by hand. The water park at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park will be closed.
The restriction comes as the City is nearing the completion of a significant year-long project to connect two of its major wells, which will greatly improve the reliability of the City’s water system. The operation involves a new water main connecting the wells located at Fish Trap Island (PW660) and in Wilson Park (PW605), both along the Nechako River. The restriction is being put in place now to reduce water consumption in the City while the final – and most critical – connections between the wells are made.
The two wells being connected provide most of the water used in the Hart, throughout the Bowl, Blackburn, and College Heights. Building redundancy between them is critical to protect the City against any future mechanical failures or water quality concerns. One of the wells being connected is one of the City’s oldest. City wells draw water from an underground aquifer that provides among the highest water quality in North America.
In the summer, water used for irrigation is equivalent to all other household uses combined. Refraining from the use of lawn sprinklers and other irrigation will ensure that water pressure remains at a suitable level for firefighting and other household uses during this critical connection work.
Residences found to be in frequent contravention of the ban could face a fine of $100.
Please note that some privately owned lands, such as the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, have their own wells and may still irrigate during the period of the watering ban due to the fact that they are not connected to the City’s water system.
Residents who feel they need an exemption from the watering ban are asked to fill out an online form on the City website.
