While our water system can easily meet average day demands, our summer demands can be much higher. Water restrictions are in place to benefit the whole community and ensure that we continue to have a reliable quantity of water available all summer.
During the summer months, our water consumption increases, resulting in “peak days” when daily demand reaches its annual maximum. Our water system infrastructure is designed to meet peak day demands; however, this infrastructure is expensive and often has environmental impacts to water tables and streams. Restricting water use reduces peak day demands, thereby minimizing the need for new infrastructure while ensuring water system capacity is adequate to meet all needs. Neighbouring municipalities also adopt similar restrictions to reduce peak demands.
The Staged Water Restrictions have been modified for 2024 so that the regional water supply
will be in a better position to respond to the more challenging drought conditions anticipated as
an impact of climate change. With more frequent droughts and operational constraints the
triggers for stages have been updated to:
- The flexibility of the period of Staged Water Restrictions beyond May 1 to September 30 can be based on any condition, occurrence, factor or assessment of all relevant circumstances that in the judgement of the Engineer, are necessary; and
- Relevant conditions, occurrences, factors and conditions include: snowpack; current and forecasted available supply – Dickson Lake level, Cannell Lake level, and the Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer levels; antecedent weather and soil conditions, precipitation and temperature forecast, extreme heat warnings; Norrish Creek flows; Provincial drought levels; recent water consumption and forecasted trends; customer compliance with restrictions; and any other
factor the Engineer considers to be relevant for making a determination.
Both Mission and Abbotsford will follow the same water restrictions included in each City’s Bylaws: Abbotsford, Mission.
Water Restrictions start May 1
There are different stages in the Water Restrictions based on our current water
supply. These restrictions apply only to the use of treated drinking water not to the use of rainwater, private well water or any forms of recycled water.