Water ban continues

The watering ban imposed by the city Tuesday morning will last as long as the municipality deems it necessary to avoid running into a situation where there isn't enough flow for firefighting, according to city hall.

"The city will monitor the levels of water consumption and then evaluate and decide upon an appropriate time to end the ban," said an information sheet released by the city Wednesday.

The ban on mechanical sprinklers and unattended hoses was put in place following several pump stations operating at maximum capacity on Monday night, "mainly due to irrigation activity," and depleting what was available in the city's reservoirs, the city said.

According to the city, water use remained high on Tuesday night, despite the ban.

Over the first night, city staff and bylaw officers fanned out across Prince George neighbourhoods to let people know what was going on, said associate public works director Gina Layte Liston. More than 250 residents were found with sprinklers, hoses and irrigation systems running.

While violating the city's water restrictions can result in a $50 fine, Layte Liston said no tickets were handed out, but rather information sheets and tickets won't be written unless someone is a repeat offender.

"It's about education. For me, it's about getting the water off," she said. "But if we have spoken to a person before and we have (recorded) that they've been spoken to or someone at that address has been spoken to, it is a possibility that bylaw will ticket."

During the ban, watering can still be done (regardless of whether it's the normal day based on the odd or even house numbers) using a watering can or hose as long as it's not left unattended.

The water park at Lheidl T'enneh Memorial Park and the fountain at Canada Games Plaza have been shut off. The city is also not watering its grass, though annual gardens will still receive hydration.

Some large business, such as the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, are not included in the ban, because they operate from their own wells and do not draw from the city's reservoirs.