--- title: Port McNeill watering restrictions question: "Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions?" place: Port McNeill, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/port-mcneill category: Water, sewer, roads and snow owner: municipal owner_body: Town of Port McNeill sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/water-restrictions/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/water-restrictions.json" --- # Port McNeill watering restrictions **Question:** Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions? **Short answer:** In Port McNeill, Stage 1 water restrictions apply every year from June 1 to September 30 unless the Water System Manager sets another stage or period. In Stage 1, sprinklers are limited by address: even-numbered addresses water on even days, odd on odd. Stages 2 and 3 ban lawn watering. Check the Town for the current stage. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Port McNeill, https://portmcneill.ca) **Cost:** Fine of $100 minimum and $500 maximum, plus costs. **How long:** New sod permit: until growth is established or 21 days after installation, whichever is less. **Where:** - In person: Town Office, 1775 Furney Place, Port McNeill, BC (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed statutory holidays)) - Online: Town notices, https://portmcneill.ca (Check the Town's website for the current stage) ## Key facts - **When restrictions apply:** Stage 1 restrictions apply every year from June 1 to September 30, unless the Water System Manager sets another stage or period. Stages 2 and 3 apply when notified by the Town. - Source: [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002, s. 5](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) - Official wording: "Stage 1 restrictions shall come into effect each year commencing at 12:01 a.m." … "on June 1 and ending at midnight on September 30" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Sprinkling schedule:** Stage 1: with hose-connected or automatic in-ground sprinklers, premises with even-numbered addresses water on even-numbered days and odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered days. Stages 2 and 3: no lawn watering at any time. - Source: [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002, Schedule A, Stage 1-3](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) - Official wording: "premises with even numbered addresses on even numbered days" … "premises with odd numbered addresses on odd numbered days" … "(a) water lawns at any time" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Allowed at any time:** Stage 1 limits only hose-connected or automatic in-ground sprinklers. Under Stage 3, trees and shrubs may be watered only by hand-held container. Outdoor areas that must be cleaned to meet health or safety standards are exempt. - Source: [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002, Schedule A](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) - Official wording: "using hose-" … "connected or automatic in-ground sprinklers except as follows:" … "(d) water trees and shrubs except by a hand-held container;" … "do not apply to outdoor areas, which may be" … "required by law to be cleaned so as to comply with health or safety" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **New lawns:** A person may apply to the Town Administrator for a permit to water newly installed sod on other days, until growth is established or for 21 days after installation, whichever is less. Not available during Stage 3. - Source: [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002, Schedule A, s. 4(b)](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) - Official wording: "A person may apply for a permit to the Town Administrator to water newly" … "installed sod on days other than, and including their assigned Stage 1" … "whichever is less. An exemption for new sod does not apply during Stage 3" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine:** $100 minimum and $500 maximum, plus costs, under the Offence Act. - Source: [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002, s. 7](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) - Official wording: "a minimum fine of $100 and a maximum fine of $500 plus costs in accordance with" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Water Use Restriction Bylaw, No. 530, 2002 - Source: [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002, s. 9](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) - Official wording: "Water Use Restriction Bylaw, No. 530, 2002" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works Port McNeill's [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) sets three stages. Stage 1 applies every year from June 1 to September 30 unless the Water System Manager sets another stage or period. Stages 2 and 3 apply when the Town notifies the public. The Town's water comes from its well supply. The current stage is announced by the Town, so check its website or call the Town Office at 250-956-3111. ## Good to know - Stage 1 (lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetable gardens): with hose-connected or automatic in-ground sprinklers, premises with even-numbered addresses water on even-numbered days and odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered days. The bylaw sets no hours of the day. - Stages 2 and 3: no lawn watering at any time. - Stage 1 limits only hose-connected or automatic in-ground sprinklers. In Stage 3, trees and shrubs may be watered only by hand-held container. Outdoor areas that must be cleaned to meet health or safety standards are exempt. - New sod: apply to the Town Administrator for a permit to water on other days, until growth is established or for 21 days after installation, whichever is less. Not available in Stage 3. - Fine: $100 minimum and $500 maximum, plus costs, under the Offence Act. It is not in the Town's ticket schedule. ## Official forms and pages - [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002 (PDF), Town of Port McNeill](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) ## Related questions - [Port McNeill bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/bylaw-fines.md) - [Port McNeill garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/garbage-collection.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Watering restrictions in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/water-restrictions.md) - [Port Hardy](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/water-restrictions.md) - [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/water-restrictions.md) - [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/water-restrictions.md) - [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/water-restrictions.md) - [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/water-restrictions.md) - [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/water-restrictions.md) ## Sources - [Water Use Restriction Bylaw No. 530, 2002 (PDF), Town of Port McNeill](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No.-530-2002-Water-Use-Restrictions.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Municipal Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 584, 2006 (PDF), Town of Port McNeill](https://portmcneill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/No-584-2006-Municipal-Ticket-Information-System-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Utilities, Town of Port McNeill](https://portmcneill.ca/residents/water-sewer/) (read 2026-11-08) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Port McNeill. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/water-restrictions/_