Kimberley watering restrictions
Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions?
Short answer
Yes. The City of Kimberley's Water Shortage Response Bylaw has four stages. Stage 1 starts automatically on June 1 if no stage is in force, and no stage lasts past September 30 unless the City declares otherwise. At Stage 1, residential lawns are watered on even or odd dates by address.
Key facts
| When restrictions apply | Four stages, declared by the City's Senior Manager of Operations with the Chief Administrative Officer's approval and in force 72 hours after a public announcement. Stage 1 starts automatically on June 1 if no stage is in force. No stage lasts past September 30 unless the City declares otherwise. The current stage is not stated on the City pages.Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015, ss. 3.1, 3.2, 3.4; Water Shortage Response Amendment Bylaw No. 2696, 2021, s. 2.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingdeclare that the City of Kimberley has activated a restriction stage. comes into force in the City 72 restrictions come into force automatically on that date without prior No restriction stage remains in force after September Throughout the bylaw, delete "Manager, Operations & Environment Services" and replace by "Senior Manager of Operations". |
|---|---|
| Sprinkling schedule | Lawns at residential addresses. Stage 1: even addresses on even dates, odd addresses on odd dates, 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Stage 2: even addresses Wednesday and Saturday, odd addresses Thursday and Sunday, same hours. Stage 3: no lawn watering. Stage 4: no watering of lawns, gardens or trees, including drip irrigation.Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015, Schedule A, Parts 1 to 4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingat residential premises with even numbered civic addresses on even numbered calendar days between on Wednesdays & Saturdays between the on Thursdays & Sundays between the water lawns; Stage 4 restrictions water, or engage in drip irrigation using water: |
| Allowed at any time | Stages 1 to 3: flowers, flower and vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs and trees may still be watered, and drip irrigation is not counted as watering. Stage 4 bans watering them and drip irrigation. Pools, spas, garden ponds and school or sports fields have exemptions at stages 1 to 3; hand-held hose washing needs a shut-off nozzle.Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015, ss. 2.1, Schedule A 1.2, 2.2, 3.2, 4.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingbut does not include drip irrigation. flowers and flower gardens, vegetables and vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs or trees; pools, spas, and garden ponds; water, or engage in drip irrigation using water: |
| New lawns | A permit lets you water new sod, turf, seed or landscaping at set times during Stage 1 or 2. It costs $30 for a single-family home ($30 for each unit in a multiple development, up to $150 for 5 or more), lasts 21 days, and can be extended once, to no more than 42 days from the first issue. It does not apply at Stage 3 or 4.Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015, ss. 4.1 to 4.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmay apply to the Manager, Operations & Environment A permit does not exempt the holder from stage 3 restrictions or stage 4 restrictions. of a fee in the amount of $30.00 for a single family dwelling unit and an additional $30.00 for each of the dwelling units in a multiple residential development, to a maximum of $150.00 for 5 or more dwelling units in a shall expire and be of no force or effect 21 days after the date of its issue section 4.2 . |
| Fine | Municipal ticket: $100 for a first offence and $250 for a second or later offence, for watering or other uses banned at any stage (including no shut-off device on a hose).Municipal Ticket Information Amendment Bylaw No. 2672, 2021, Schedule 14 (Water Shortage Response) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingWatering during prohibited time 1.1(a) 100 250 Watering lawns 3.1(a) 100 250 No automatic shut-off device 1.1(b) 100 250 |
| Bylaw | City of Kimberley Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015, as amended by Amendment Bylaw No. 2696, 2021Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015, s. 1.1; Water Shortage Response Amendment Bylaw No. 2696, 2021, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingCity of Kimberley Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015 City of Kimberley Water Shortage Response Amendment Bylaw |
How it works
The Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015, as amended in 2021, has four stages. The Senior Manager of Operations declares a stage with the Chief Administrative Officer's approval, and it takes effect 72 hours after a public announcement. Stage 1 starts automatically on June 1 if no stage is in force. No stage lasts past September 30 unless the City declares otherwise. The City's pages do not state the current stage, so check the Outdoor Watering page or ask Operations. The stages do not apply to rainwater, gray water or recycled water.
Stages (residential lawns)
- Stage 1: even addresses on even dates and odd addresses on odd dates, 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Stage 2: even addresses Wednesday and Saturday, odd addresses Thursday and Sunday, same hours.
- Stage 3: no lawn watering.
- Stage 4: no watering of lawns, gardens or trees, including drip irrigation.
Good to know
- At stages 1 to 3, flowers, flower and vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs and trees may still be watered, and drip irrigation is not counted as watering. Pools, spas, garden ponds and school or sports fields have exemptions at stages 1 to 3.
- Washing vehicles needs a hose with an automatic shut-off device at every stage. Non-residential premises have separate days and hours in the bylaw.
- A permit lets you water new sod, turf, seed or landscaping at set times during Stage 1 or 2. It costs $30 for a single-family home ($30 for each unit in a multiple development, up to $150 for 5 or more), lasts 21 days, and can be extended once to no more than 42 days from first issue. It does not apply at Stage 3 or 4. Apply to the Senior Manager of Operations (250-427-9660, operations@kimberley.ca) and post the permit on a post facing the street beside the main driveway.
- A municipal ticket for watering or other uses banned at any stage (including no shut-off device on a hose) is $100 for a first offence and $250 for a second or later offence.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Cranbrook · Canal Flats · Fernie · Creston · Kaslo · Elkford
Watering restrictions in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Water Shortage Response Bylaw No. 2527, 2015 (PDF), City of Kimberley (read 2026-11-05)
- Water Shortage Response Amendment Bylaw No. 2696, 2021 (PDF), City of Kimberley (read 2026-11-05)
- Municipal Ticket Information Amendment Bylaw No. 2672, 2021 (PDF), City of Kimberley (read 2026-11-05)
- Outdoor Watering, City of Kimberley (read 2026-11-05)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.