Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 232, 2025 — full text, Northern Rockies, British Columbia

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Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restrictions Bylaw No. 232, 2025 Page 1 of 6 Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 232, 2025 WHEREAS the Regional Council of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality is empowered and authorized pursuant to the Local Government Act to regulate in relation to a service; AND WHEREAS the Regional Council of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality deems it necessary and expedient to set regulations for the year-round conservation of water; NOW THEREFORE the Regional Council of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality in open meeting assembled hereby enacts as follows: INTERPRETATION 1. Citation 1.1. This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the "Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 232, 2025". 2. Repeals 2.1. The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 78, 2012 is hereby rescinded and repealed in its entirety. 3. Definitions 3.1. "Act" means the Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act. 3.2. "Chief Administrative Officer" means the person appointed as Chief Administrative Officer for the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, and as defined in the NRRM Officer Positions and Delegation of Authority Bylaw No. 138, 2017. 3.3. "Director" means the Director of Public Works or their Authorized Designate, as appointed by the Chief Administrative Officer, and as defined in the NRRM Officer Positions and Delegation of Authority Bylaw No. 138, 2017. 3.4. "Fill" means to fill more than 15% of the total capacity of a swimming pool, wading pool, hot tub, garden pond or decorative fountain with water. A bylaw to establish regulations that assist in the management of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality water supply. Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restrictions Bylaw No. 232, 2025 Page 2 of 6 3.5. "Municipality" means the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. 3.6. "Overwater" means to apply water in a manner that soaks a lawn, boulevard or landscaped area resulting in water pooling, spreading or running onto parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, roadways or structures, whether willfully or by allowing leaky, imperfect, defective or improper taps, pipes, meters, indicators or other fixtures to remain in disrepair. 3.7. "Regional Council" means the Regional Council of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. 3.8. "Residential Use" means the use of water for the normal operation of a residential home which includes sanitation; fire protection; the watering of domestic animals and poultry; and the watering of a garden, lawn or landscaped area which must be on or adjacent to the same property as the residential home. 3.9. "Watering System" means a watering system, which may include in-ground automated or drip systems, sprinklers, that supplies water for Residential Use outdoors. 3.10. "Water Service Area" refers to all users of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality water utility system. 4. APPLICATION 4.1. The restrictions and regulations outlined in this bylaw are applicable to everyone in the Water Service Area. 5. PROHIBITION 5.1. No person shall use water for any purpose other than Residential Use as defined in this bylaw. 5.2. No person shall use water for Residential Use where the sum of the area of the parcel on which the residential home is located and the area of the adjacent parcel on which a garden, lawn or landscaped area is located exceeds one acre. 5.3. The following uses are exempted from sections 5.1 and 5.2, above, except during Water Conservation Stages 1, 2 and 3: 5.3.1. Public School properties 5.3.2. Municipality-owned parks and playgrounds 5.4. No person shall damage or allow the deterioration of any device or mechanism through which water is piped or used for Residential Use. Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restrictions Bylaw No. 232, 2025 Page 3 of 6 5.5. No person, being an Owner or Occupier of property in the Water Service Area, shall use water or cause water to be used contrary to the provisions of this bylaw in effect at the time of use. 6. DETERMINING RESTRICTIONS 6.1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this bylaw, it shall be lawful for the Chief Administrative Officer to determine there is or is likely to be a shortage of water and to restrict or ration the use of water for all or any purposes by declaring the applicable Water Conservation Stage further outlined in Section 9 of this bylaw. Such restriction or rationing shall continue until such time as the Chief Administrative Officer, in the Chief Administrative Officer's discretion, decides that sufficient water is available. 7. YEAR-ROUND WATERING 7.1. No person shall overwater. 7.2. Except during Water Conservation Stages 1, 2 and 3, no person shall water lawns, gardens and other landscaped areas with a Watering System except during the prescribed watering hours of 5:00 am to 9:00 am and 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. 7.3. Except during Water Conservation Stages 1, 2 and 3, no person shall water lawns, gardens and other landscaped areas with a Watering System except: 7.3.1. for properties bearing even-numbered civic addresses - on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and 7.3.2. for properties bearing odd-numbered civic addresses - on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. 7.4. Notwithstanding sections 7.2 and 7.3, except during Water Conservation Stages 1, 2 or 3, a person may: 7.4.1. water newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables using a Watering System by any method during installation and on any day during the following 7 days but only during the prescribed watering hours; and 7.4.2. water new sod or newly seeded lawn during installation and on any day during the following 7 days but only during the prescribed watering hours. 8. NOTICE 8.1. The Municipality shall provide public notice or cause notice to be given of Water Conservation Stage 1, 2 or 3 when it takes effect. Public notice may include notice in local newspapers, on the municipal website, on local radio stations, and the distribution of flyers or written materials. Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restrictions Bylaw No. 232, 2025 Page 4 of 6 9. WATER CONSERVATION STAGES 9.1. For the purposes of this bylaw, the Water Conservation Stages are as follows: 9.1.1. STAGE 1: REDUCED WATERING During Stage 1, no person shall use a Watering System to: 9.1.1.1. water a lawn, garden, trees or shrubs outside of the hours of 5:00 am to 9:00 am on prescribed watering days; 9.1.1.2. wash driveways, sidewalks, parking lots; 9.1.1.3. wash exterior building surfaces. During Stage 1, commercial operations and business activities for which a steady supply and use of water is essential for the core business activity, including but not limited to car washes and nurseries, shall be permitted to use water as they would in the ordinary course and for the purpose of washing of exterior surfaces. 9.1.2. STAGE 2: HAND WATERING ONLY During Stage 2, no person shall use a Watering System to: 9.1.2.1. water a lawn, garden, trees, or shrubs; 9.1.2.2. wash driveways, sidewalks, parking lots; 9.1.2.3. wash exterior building surfaces. During Stage 2 a person may: 9.1.2.4. water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables if watering is done by handheld container or a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle but only during the prescribed watering hours and days; 9.1.2.5. water newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables if watering is done by handheld container or a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle during installation and for the following 24 hours; 9.1.2.6. wash a vehicle with water using a handheld container or hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle and at commercial car washes; 9.1.2.7. fill or top up or add to a swimming pool, wading pool, hot tub, garden pond or decorative fountain. Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restrictions Bylaw No. 232, 2025 Page 5 of 6 During Stage 2, the Municipality will: 9.1.2.8. Reduce operational hours of the Katie June "Bee Yourself" Rotary Spray Park. During Stage 2, commercial operations and business activities for which a steady supply and use of water is essential for the core business activity, including but not limited to car washes and nurseries, shall be permitted to use water as they would in the ordinary course and for the purpose of and washing of exterior surfaces. 9.1.3. STAGE 3: IN HOME WATER USE ONLY During Stage 3, no person shall: 9.1.3.1. water lawns, gardens, trees or shrubs, including newly seeded or sodded lawns, newly seeded or planted gardens, trees or shrubs; 9.1.3.2. fill or top up a swimming pool, hot tub or garden pond; 9.1.3.3. wash a vehicle; 9.1.3.4. wash sidewalks, driveways or parking lots; 9.1.3.5. wash exterior building surfaces. During Stage 3, a person may: 9.1.3.6. Operate a swimming pool, wading pool, hot tub, garden pond or decorative fountain provided it uses re-circulated water only. During Stage 3, the Municipality may: 9.1.3.7. Further reduce operational hours or close the Katie June "Bee Yourself" Rotary Spray Park. During Stage 3, commercial operations and business activities for which a steady supply and use of water is essential for the core business activity are prohibited, except as authorized by permit issued by the Director. 10. OFFENCES 10.1. Any person who contravenes any provision or requirements of this bylaw is guilty of an offence and is liable for and subject to the penalties listed in Schedule A of the Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, No. 59, 2011 and all subsequent amendments. Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Water Use Restrictions Bylaw No. 232, 2025 Page 6 of 6 10.2. Any person who has been issued a bylaw notice as being in contravention of any provision of this bylaw and wishes to dispute the allegation, may give notice in person of the dispute, or deliver, have delivered, or mail a notice of dispute within twenty-one (21) days to the Northern Rockies Municipal Office, located at 5319 - 50th Avenue South, Fort Nelson BC, V0C 1R0. 11. SEVERANCE 11.1. If any portion of this bylaw is declared ultra vires by the court of competent jurisdiction, that portion shall be deemed to be severed from the bylaw to the intent that the remainder of the bylaw shall continue in full force and effect. READ a first time this 13th day of January, 2025 READ a second time this 13th day of January, 2025 READ a third time this 13th day of January, 2025 Adopted this 27th day of January, 2025 Rob Fraser, Mayor Jaylene MacIver, Corporate Manager Muskwa River Parker Lake Ecological Reserve Alaska Hwy Community Forest Prophet River Muskwa River A l a ska Hwy Fort Nelson Fort Nelson River Northern Rockies Regional Airport Muskwa River Muskwa Fort Nelson 2 Scale: 1:73,797 Filename: Water Service Area Last modifed on December 4, 2024 0 1.25 2.5 3.75 0.63 Kilometers Legend Water Service Area NRRM_Parcels This map is intended for representation only. There is no guarantee of currency and accuracy of data shown. Please refer to legal plans for all measurements. Bylaw No. 232, 2025 Water Use Restrictions Bylaw