Waterloo Region – With a hot and dry summer in the forecast, the annual Water Conservation Bylaw is back. The bylaw will be in effect from May 31 to September 30 to help curb outdoor water use, which typically increases during the warmer months.  

The bylaw applies to all residents, institutions, businesses, and organizations. It prevents everyone from using water at the same time, which helps ensure a steady supply throughout the summer. The rules are as follows: 

Once-a-week lawn watering schedule
During the bylaw, you can water your lawn once a week between 5:30 to 10 a.m. and/or 7 to 11 p.m. Your assigned day depends on the last digit in your street address: 

Alternate-day other water use schedule
During the bylaw, you can use water every other day between 5:30 to 10 a.m. and/or 7 to 11 p.m. for activities connecting to municipal water supply, such as watering gardens. If your address ends in 1,3,5,7,9 you can use water on odd-numbered dates. If your address ends in 0,2,4,6,8 you can use water on even-numbered dates. 

Irrigation systems are the biggest outdoor water user in the summer, so it is important to regularly check to make sure there are no leaks and that timers are set to the assigned day and times.  

Planting new seed or laying sod also uses a lot of water, so landscapers and homeowners are asked to do that in the spring or fall, where possible. During those times, temperatures are cooler and less water is needed.