Water Conservation

CURRENT WATER USE RESTRICTION STAGE: 1

Last update: September 13, 2024

Water Conservation: Water Use Restriction Stages

The City of Terrace enforces water sprinkling restrictions year-round. The new 5-stage water restrictions are a simple guide for residents and business owners to follow when additional restrictions are implemented.

Exceptions: Vegetable gardens and fruit trees are exempt from all watering restrictions.

Stage 1: In effect year-round unless otherwise indicated

Sprinkling is permitted only from 6 am–9 am and 7 pm–10 pm on your designated days:
- Odd-numbered addresses – Odd-numbered days
- Even-numbered addresses – Even-numbered days

Stage 2: Reduced hours for sprinkling in effect

Sprinkling is only permitted from 6 am–9 am and 7 pm–10 pm on your designated days:
- Odd-numbered addresses – Wednesdays and Sundays
- Even-numbered addresses – Tuesdays and Saturdays
No sprinkling from 9 am–7 pm daily City-wide.
Watering by handheld hose with a controlled nozzle is allowed anytime.

Stage 3: Sprinkling not permitted City-wide

Watering by handheld hose with a controlled nozzle is permitted for flowers, plants, and shrubs.
Hot tub or pool top-ups only are permitted.
New house with first-time lawn of seed or turf can apply for permit.
No watering of non-sport green spaces within the City.
Reduced watering of sports fields.

Stage 4: Ban on all non-essential water use

No watering of lawns, plants, flowers, or shrubs.
No filling, refilling, or adding water to aesthetic water features, hot tubs, or pools.
No washing of exterior building surfaces, patios, driveways, vehicles, or boats.
No watering sports fields.
Splash Park is closed.

Stage 5: Further ban on all non-essential water use

All Stage 4 bans in place, plus commercial car wash operations are banned.

Download a PDF of the stages

These restrictions are in place to ensure that we have water available in case of a wildfire, and to keep the costs of delivering water to a minimum.

Thanks for your continued assistance in the sensible and moderate use of water!

Upgrading a city’s water system is extremely expensive, usually measured in the millions of (tax) dollars even in a small community. Since most water systems are designed with fireflows in mind, the distribution lines are sized larger than needed for residential use; increased use leads directly to increased cost in the form of new construction or increased metering.

Because Canada (and especially British Columbia) is covered with lakes and rivers, we tend to take water for granted, but the truth is most of it is unsafe to drink and must be disinfected. Naturally safe sources are relatively few. Every drop of water, whether we drink it or it goes down a drain, costs all of us money. Typically, less than 1% of municipal water is used for drinking.

High flow conditions in Terrace are caused by:
- Increased or unmonitored lawn watering
- Vehicle and driveway washing
- Unmetered leaks
Terrace’s Frank Street Well is a clean, safe source of water, but no source can deliver an unlimited supply of water. To eventually add another well would be very expensive, and should not be done until it is absolutely necessary—for drinking water and fire protection.
Please honour the sprinkling restrictions—it helps.
- Water only when the lawn begins to show signs of stress; most people over-water their lawns.
- Water early in the morning when evaporation rates are lowest.
- Position your sprinkler carefully to avoid waste.
- Don’t water streets, sidewalks, or driveways; sweep them.
- Plant indigenous species as much as possible.
- Repair leaks and dripping faucets.
- When renovating, upgrade fixtures to water-savers.
- Take shorter showers.
- Use a nozzle that shuts off automatically when you are washing your car (10 minutes = approximately 75 gallons of water).
- Wash only full loads in your washing machine or dishwasher, and use a short cycle whenever possible.
- Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap until the water cools.
Read more conservation tips

Water Conservation

Water Conservation

CURRENT WATER USE RESTRICTION STAGE: 1