Level three water restrictions now in effect
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Updated: July 28, 2009 5:15 PM
Mission residents are being asked to further restrict their water use.
Because of the extreme hot weather, the water level at Abbotsford's MacLure reservoir is so low Mission and Abbotsford are increasing their outdoor watering restrictions to stage three.
While Mission doesn't rely on reservoirs as most of its water is supplied by Norrish Creek, it shares the water system with Abbotford.
If there's a deficiency somewhere, either Mission or Abbotsford, the whole system needs to be adjusted, explained Mayor James Atebe.
Abbotsford announced it was implementing stage three restrictions last week, and Mission also moved to that level Tuesday.
"The risk is more profound in Abbotsford, but in the long run, if Abbotsford is affected, because we haven't supplied them with enough water, they won't be able to fight fires and the whole system will be affected."
There has to be enough pressure for that community to fight fires.
The MacLure reservoir is a regional one, jointly owned by the two communities, explained Rick Bomhof, Mission's director of engineering and public works. "They're having difficulty keeping it full."
We also pay based on our water use, said Bomhof. "We pay based on peak flows. If one community has water restrictions, and one doesn't, the one that doesn't could be paying more."
It has been a number of years since Mission has had to go to level three. There are four levels in total. The last level doesn't allow for any watering at all.
Stage three includes the following:
• Lawn sprinkling prohibited
• Hosing of outdoor surfaces prohibited
• Spring loaded shut off on all hoses
• Garden watering by hand-held hose and container only
• Non-recirculating fountains turned off
• Pools/hot tubs filled only when required
• Curtail street flushing
• No hydrant use permits issued
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