Metro Vancouver to return to Stage 2 water restrictions

Metro Vancouver will move back to Stage 2 water restrictions on July 16 after a key supply pipe, the First Narrows Crossing, returned to service. The pipe helps move drinking water from the North Shore to Vancouver and had been offline since last October for construction work tied to the Stanley Park water supply tunnel project. Under Stage 2 rules, lawn watering remains prohibited, but residents can use sprinklers and soaker hoses for landscaping and trees. The updated rules also allow commercial pressure washing for aesthetic purposes, along with topping up pools and hot tubs and washing vehicles and boats at home. Regional officials said conservation will still matter as hot, dry weather continues and snowpack levels remain low. During the recent Stage 3 period, Metro Vancouver said water use reached 1.37 billion litres per day, just below its 1.4 billion litre target.