GUELPH -- The City of Guelph is enforcing watering restrictions after weeks of hot weather and 50 per cent less precipitation than normal for this time of year.
As of Wednesday, Guelph entered the level 1, yellow restriction level in the city's outside water use program, which limits lawn watering times.
Lawn watering is restricted to the hours of 7 to 9 a.m. or 7 to 9 p.m. Odd-numbered houses can only water on odd-numbered dates and even-numbered houses on even dates.
"Consistent hot weather and no rain, especially this early in the season, means a higher demand for water," Karen McKeown, outside water use program coordinator, said in a release. "People are gardening, laying sod and opening pools – these all require a lot of water use."
Outdoor water use is still permitted for water trees, flowers or food gardens and running sprinklers for kids' recreational use. At-home car washing is allowed, but a hose with a shut-off nozzle or a bucket of water must be used.
Bylaw officers will be enforcing the water use restrictions and are able to issues fines up to $350 or court summons for observed infractions.
Guelph's water use program has three levels: level 0, blue, with zero restrictions; level 1, yellow, with some restrictions; and level 2, red, that bans most outdoor water use altogether.
Beyond rainfall and dry weather conditions, other factors that impact the city's watering restrictions include local river flows, how much water the community is using and how much water the city is producing.
