This website has been designed to navigate using word search.

Type what you’re looking for in the search box above.

Can’t find the right words? Try something like ‘council meetings’ or ‘water restrictions‘ or ‘dog licenses’.

Water Restrictions

This page was last reviewed on September 2, 2025.

Water use increases significantly in the summer months, much of it due to landscape watering. The Water Conservation Bylaw is intended to manage this and other outdoor uses.

General Restrictions (All Stages 1-4)

During all stages of water use restrictions,

  • All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device.
  • Water must not unnecessarily run off on impermeable surfaces such as driveways, curbs, pathways or gutters when watering lawns or plants.
  • Hoses and taps must not run unnecessarily.
  • Irrigation systems must not be faulty or misdirected and must be programmed to operate in accordance with the applicable restriction stage.

Stage 1 Water Restrictions

Stage 1 is in effect from May 1 to September 30 unless otherwise determined.

Lawn watering with a sprinkler is allowed two days per week:

Address Lawn Watering Permitted
Even Numbered Wednesday and Saturday
4am – 10am and 7pm – 10pm
Odd Numbered Thursday and Sunday
4am – 10am and 7pm – 10pm

During Stage 1, you may also

  • water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables with a sprinkler on any day between 4 am and 10 am and between 7 pm to 10 pm.
  • water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by hand-held container or a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle on any day at any time.
  • water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables use micro-irrigation or drip-irrigation systems on any day at any time.
  • water newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by any method during installation and for the following 24 hours.
  • under the authority of a permit, water new sod on installation and during the first 21 days after installation, and water newly seeded lawns until growth is established or for 49 days after installation, whichever is less, but only during the prescribed Stage 1 lawn watering hours.
  • wash a vehicle with water using a hand held container or hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle and at car dealerships or commercial car washes, on any day at any time.
  • water all weather playing fields at any time, if failure to do so will result in a permanent loss of plant material.

Exceptions to Stage 1 Restrictions:

  • Owners or occupiers of property who, by reason of disability, are unable to water their property within the restricted days and times, may water their property on any two days of the week for a maximum of 4 hours per day.
  • Nurseries, farms, turf farms, and tree farms are exempted from the restrictions.
  • The Village may water lawns and boulevards on any day but no more than two days per week.

Lawn Watering Permit

Lawn watering permits to care for a freshly seeded or sodded lawn are only valid during Stage 1 water restrictions. Please complete an application and either deliver to the Village office located at 2673 Dunsmuir Avenue or email to info@cumberland.ca.

Stage 2 Water Restrictions

To find out if Stage 2 restrictions are in effect, check the website news or call 250-336-2291.

Lawn watering with a sprinkler is allowed one day per week:

Address Lawn Watering Permitted
Even Numbered Wednesday
4am – 10am and 7pm – 10pm
Odd Numbered Thursday
4am – 10am and 7pm – 10pm

During Stage 2, you may also

  • water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables with a sprinkler on any day between 4 am to 10 am and from 7 pm to 10 pm.
  • water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables with a hand-held container or a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle on any day at any time.
  • water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetable using micro-irrigation or drip-irrigation systems on any day at any time.
  • water newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by any method during installation and for the following 24 hours.
  • wash a vehicle with water using a hand held container or hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle and at car dealerships and commercial car washes, on any day at any time.
  • water all weather playing fields at any time, if failure to do so will result in a permanent loss of plant material.

During Stage 2, you may not

  • wash sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, exterior windows or exterior building surfaces, except as necessary for applying a product such as paint, preservative and stucco, preparing a surface prior to paving or repointing bricks, or if required by law to comply with health or safety regulations.

Exceptions to Stage 2 Restrictions:

  • Owners or occupiers of property who, by reason of disability, are unable to water their property within the restricted days and times, may water their property on one day per week for a maximum of 4 hours per day.
  • Nurseries, farms, turf farms and tree farms are exempted from the restrictions.
  • The Village may water lawns and boulevards on any day but no more than one day per week.

Stage 3 Water Restrictions

Lawn watering is not allowed.

To find out if Stage 3 restrictions are in effect check website news or call 250-336-2291.

During Stage 3, you may not

  • water a lawn or boulevard.
  • fill a swimming pool, hot tub or garden pond.
  • fill or operate a non re-circulating fountain.
  • wash a vehicle or a boat with water.
  • flush water mains.
  • operate a water play park, unless authorized by the CAO in response to heat-related emergencies.

During Stage 3, you may

  • water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables on any day between the hours of 4 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 10 pm if watering is done by hand-held container or a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle.
  • use micro-irrigation or drip-irrigation systems to water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables on any day between the hours of 4 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 10 pm.
  • water newly planted trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables between the hours of 4 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 10 pm only by hand-held container or a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle during installation and the following 24 hours after installation is completed.
  • water all weather playing fields between 9pm and 7am up to 3 days per week, but only if failure to do so will result in a permanent loss of plant material.

Exceptions to Stage 3 Restrictions:

  • nurseries, farms, turf farms and tree farms are exempted from the restrictions.
  • vehicles and boats may be washed with water only at car dealerships and commercial car washes using less than 57 litres of water per vehicle wash or 50% re-circulated water as long as the total amount of water, excluding re-circulated water does not exceed 57 litres per vehicle wash.

Stage 4 Water Restrictions (Severe/Emergency)

During Stage 4 all use of water for any purpose other than drinking, food preparation and personal hygiene is prohibited.

During Stage 4, you may not

  • Water a lawn or boulevard.
  • Water gardens, plants, trees, shrubs, or flowers by any means.
  • Fill a swimming pool, hot tub, or garden pond.
  • Fill or operate a non-recirculating fountain at any time.
  • Operate a water play park.
  • Wash vehicles and boats except to clean windows, lights, mirrors, license plates or boat engines for safety.
  • Water all weather fields at any time.

Exceptions to Stage 4 Restrictions:

  • use water for firefighting.
  • use water as drinking water for animals or livestock.
  • water food producing plants using a micro drip watering system only.
  • use water when required by law to comply with health or safety regulations, or to comply with an order of a regulatory authority.
  • operate a water play park when authorized by the CAO in response to heat-related emergencies.

This information is provided for convenience only. Please refer to the Water Conservation Bylaw No. 807.

Bylaw Compliance

A person that contravenes Water Conservation Bylaw No. 807 when restrictions are in effect is subject to the following penalties:

First Conviction Second & Subsequent Conviction(s) Commercial Conviction (Stage 4)
not less than $3,000 but not more than $50,000 not less than $5,000 but not more than $50,000 not less than $5,000 but not more than $50,000 (for an offence committed during stage 4 by a cleaning or vehicle washing service)

More Information

Farm means a parcel of land classified as farmland for assessment and taxation purposes.

Micro-irrigation or Drip-irrigation System means a system using irrigation components which consume less than 20.0IMPgal/hour and operate at less than 25psi to deliver water to the root zone of the plant material being irrigated, and includes spray emitter systems (Micro-Sprays), point source emitters, and linear tape systems as defined in the BC Trickle Manual prepared and published by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Resource Management Branch (issue 1999), but does not include weeper or soaker hoses.

Search again