--- title: Gold River watering restrictions question: "Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions in Gold River?" place: Gold River, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/gold-river category: Water, sewer, roads and snow owner: municipal owner_body: Village of Gold River sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/water-restrictions/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/water-restrictions.json" --- # Gold River watering restrictions **Question:** Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions in Gold River? **Short answer:** Yes. Gold River's Water Conservation Bylaw has four stages. Stage 1 starts May 1 each year, with even and odd address watering days, and tightens to a sprinkling ban at Stage 3 and no outdoor watering at Stage 4. Check the Village website or the Municipal Hall notice for the current stage. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Gold River, https://goldriver.ca) **Cost:** Permit for a new lawn or landscaping: $50 for private construction. Ticket amount not readable in the Village's posted bylaws. **How long:** A new-lawn permit expires 4 weeks after issue unless extended in writing. **Where:** - Phone: Village Hall, (250) 283-2202 ## Key facts - **When restrictions apply:** Stage 1 is in effect from May 1 each year. Stage 2 applies when there is drought level 3 for the West Vancouver Island basin. Stage 3 applies when the 14-day average Gold River stream-flow falls below 8.6 cubic metres a second at Station 08HC001 and there is drought level 4. Stage 4 applies when stream-flow falls below 4.3 cubic metres a second and there is drought level 5, and Council may bring it in as an emergency. The CAO or Director of Operations may change the dates or bring in Stages 1 to 3 at any time of year. Notice is posted at the Municipal Hall and on the Village website. - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, s. 5(a)-(d)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "Stage 1 and the water use restrictions for Stage 1 prescribed in schedule ‘A’ are in effect May 1 of the" … "when there is a drought level 3 for the West Vancouver Island basin" … "below 8.6 cubic meters per second" … "below 4.3 cubic meters per second" - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, s. 5(e)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "Terminate or bring into effect water use restrictions up to and including stage 3 at any time of the" - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, s. 6(c)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "must be posted at the public notification place and on the Village of Gold River website." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Sprinkling schedule:** Stage 1: even-numbered civic addresses water on even calendar days and odd-numbered addresses on odd days, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for hose-supplied sprinklers, or 12:00 midnight to 4:00 a.m. for underground automated systems. Stage 2: even-numbered addresses on Tuesday and Friday and odd-numbered addresses on Monday and Thursday, same hours. Stage 3: no sprinkling of lawns, gardens or landscaped areas. Stage 4: no outdoor watering of any kind. Special days apply to Scout Lake / Burman premises and stratas. - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "At premises with even numbered civic addresses, on even numbered calendar days between" … "7:00a.m. to 10a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for hose supplied sprinklers or between 12:00 midnight and 4:00 a.m. for underground automated sprinkler systems." - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 2](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "At premises with even numbered civic addresses, on Tuesday and Friday between" … "At premises with odd numbered civic addresses, on Monday and Thursday between" - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 3](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "No person shall use a watering system to water a lawn, garden or landscaped area on property." - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 4](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "Watering outdoor lawns, gardens, plants, and trees in any manner or by any means," - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Allowed at any time:** Stages 1 and 2: hand watering of flower gardens, vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs or trees, and drip irrigation. Stage 3: watering a vegetable / food garden is permitted. Stage 4: no outdoor watering, including by hand. - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "Hand watering of flower gardens, vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs or trees. Drip" - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 3](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "Watering for vegetable / food garden." - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 4](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "including watering by hand." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **New lawns:** A permit for a new lawn or landscaping costs $50 for private construction (waived for public works or where required by bylaw or Provincial orders or permits). It expires 4 weeks after issue unless extended in writing, and no new permits are issued during Stage 4. - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, s. 9(a)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "may issue permits for the installation of a new lawn, establishment, or re-" - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. B](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "New Lawn / Landscaping ($50)" … "This permit expires 4 weeks from the date of issue unless extended in writing" - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, Sched. A Stage 4](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "No new permits shall be authorized under Schedule B" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine:** Not confirmed. Gold River's ticket amounts are in a scanned bylaw that could not be read. - **Bylaw:** Village of Gold River Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024 - Source: [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024, s. 1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) - Official wording: "This Bylaw can be cited as the "Village of Gold River Water Conservation Bylaw - NO. 751, 2024”" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) sets four stages. Stage 1 is in effect from May 1 each year. Stage 2 applies at drought level 3 for the West Vancouver Island basin. Stage 3 applies when the 14-day average Gold River stream-flow falls below 8.6 cubic metres a second at Station 08HC001 and there is drought level 4. Stage 4 applies when stream-flow falls below 4.3 cubic metres a second and there is drought level 5, and Council may bring it in as an emergency. The CAO or Director of Operations may change the dates or bring in Stages 1 to 3 at any time of year. Notice is posted at the Municipal Hall and on the Village website, so check there for the current stage. ## Good to know - Stage 1: even-numbered civic addresses water on even calendar days and odd-numbered addresses on odd days, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for hose-supplied sprinklers, or 12:00 midnight to 4:00 a.m. for underground automated systems. - Stage 2: even-numbered addresses on Tuesday and Friday, odd-numbered addresses on Monday and Thursday, same hours. - Stage 3: no sprinkling of lawns, gardens or landscaped areas. Watering a vegetable or food garden is permitted. - Stage 4: no outdoor watering of any kind, including by hand. - Stages 1 and 2: hand watering of flower gardens, vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs or trees, and drip irrigation are allowed. Stage 1 also lets a hose with an automatic shut-off wash boats or vehicles. Special days apply to Scout Lake / Burman premises and stratas. - Rain water, grey water and recycled water are not covered by the restrictions. - A permit for a new lawn or landscaping costs $50 for private construction (waived for public works or where required by bylaw or Provincial orders or permits). It expires 4 weeks after issue unless extended in writing. No new permits are issued during Stage 4. - On conviction, the bylaw sets a fine of not less than $100; penalties may also be processed by bylaw notice. The ticket amount could not be read. ## Official forms and pages - [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024 (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) ## The same question elsewhere - [Watering restrictions in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/water-restrictions.md) - [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/water-restrictions.md) - [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/water-restrictions.md) - [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/water-restrictions.md) - [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/water-restrictions.md) - [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/water-restrictions.md) - [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/water-restrictions.md) ## Sources - [Water Conservation Bylaw No. 751, 2024 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bylaw-No-751-2024-Water-Conservation.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Gold River. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/water-restrictions/_