This rain won’t be enough to top up reservoirs in Metro Vancouver
Posted July 24, 2015 11:38 am.
Last Updated July 24, 2015 11:39 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
METRO VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The rain we’re getting is a welcome reprieve from the hot, dry summer, but it won’t be enough to get us out of strict water conservation measures.
It would take a lot more than what we’re seeing this weekend, says Darrell Mussatto, the chair of the regional district’s Utilities Committee.
“Let’s say we get five millimetres of rain this morning. We’re going to need upwards of 150 millimetres of rain to take the reservoirs back to normal levels,” says Mussatto.
“I wouldn’t anticipate us changing back to Stage 2 until the end of September, when the regulations are gone,” he tells us.
Mussatto emphasizes that we are in a drought situation. “Regardless of the little bit of rain, it’s very much a severe drought.”
With the heat back in the forecast next week, he’s asking people to “stay strong.”
“We do not water lawns, we don’t wash our cars and we stick to Stage 3 regulations. This is not anywhere near enough rain.”
We have been using less water since Stage 3 restrictions came into effect on Monday — and we need to keep it up. The regional district has said if we can use less than 1.2 billion litres a day, we’ll be okay without rain until November.
