Temporary lawn watering restrictions: What it means for you

The summer months bring warm and dry weather which places an increased peak demand on the City of Cornwall’s water supply system.

In addition, there are plans to upgrade and repaint the City water tower on Tollgate Road this summer. The 4.5-million litre capacity water tower will be drained and off-line for a period of time during the work, and that will place an additional demand on the water supply system.

In order to ensure adequate water pressure and volume during this work, the City is encouraging residents and businesses to conserve water by following the measures laid out in the new Lawn Watering Restriction By-Law.

The By-Law will be in force for 2015 only. Under the new By-Law, property owners with even addresses (ending with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) can water their lawn on even calendar dates while owners with odd addresses (ending with 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) can water their lawn on odd calendar dates. This is not an outright ban on lawn watering but rather an opportunity to water every other day if need be.

The By-Law, which was approved by City Council on Monday night, sets out these restrictions for the period of July 15th to September 30th of 2015. This will coincide with the planned work to the water tower on Tollgate Road.

Although residents who contravene the By-Law can be subject to a $300 fine, the primary purpose is to conserve water especially during peak demand periods. According to Mr. St. Marseille, the City will be focusing on blatant cases of wasted water (should they be encountered) as opposed to recreational uses such as a child playing in a sprinkler on a hot summer day.

“We still want children to be children and have fun,” said Mr. St. Marseille. “The intent isn’t to outright ban lawn watering but rather to target flagrant instances where water is being wasted.”

Residents who have specific questions or concerns about the lawn watering restrictions can contact the Municipal Works Department at (613) 932-5354 or use our online Contact Us form.

To see a full copy of the Lawn Watering Restrictions By-Law, please click here.

Lawn Watering Tips
As part of the effort, the City is encouraging residents to keep these lawn watering tips in mind:

• The healthiest lawns exist when they are watered deeply at infrequent intervals. Your lawn does not require much water to thrive – about 2-3 centimetres (1 inch) of water per week either by rainfall or by watering for established lawns.
• Water at the right time of the day. The best time is in the early morning when evaporation is at a minimum and this enables greater penetration of the water into the ground. The City recommends a brief period of lawn watering between 5 am – 10 am on your permitted watering day.
• Use the right kind of sprinkler. Sprinklers that shoot low to the ground are superior to oscillating/fan type sprinklers that lose much of their water to evaporation and wind drift before hitting the ground.
• Trim your grass, don’t shave it. Leave the grass at least 6-8 centimetres (3 inches) long to provide shade for roots.