--- title: Powell River watering restrictions question: "Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions?" place: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/powell-river category: Water, sewer, roads and snow owner: municipal owner_body: City of Powell River sources_read: 2026-11-05 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/water-restrictions/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/water-restrictions.json" --- # Powell River watering restrictions **Question:** Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions? **Short answer:** Yes. The City of Powell River has four water conservation stages. At Stage 1, odd-numbered addresses may sprinkle any time on odd calendar days and even-numbered addresses on even days. The City sets the current stage, so check its Utilities page before you water. **Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Powell River, https://powellriver.ca) **Where:** - Phone: Sprinkling questions, 604-485-8604 - Online: Water restrictions, City Utilities page, https://powellriver.ca/pages/utilities ## Key facts - **When restrictions apply:** The bylaw has four water conservation stages (Schedule C); the stage is set by the City and no calendar dates are written in the bylaw. Stage 1 is the minimum and is in effect most of the year; Stage 2 is common in summer. - Source: [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015 (office consolidation), Sch. C](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/66505) - Official wording: "These restrictions only apply to the use of treated drinking water." - Source: [Utilities, Water restrictions](https://powellriver.ca/pages/utilities) - Official wording: "At the minimum Stage 1 restriction, which is in effect most of the year," … "Stage 2 water restrictions are common in the summer months" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Sprinkling schedule:** Stage 1: odd-numbered addresses water any time on odd calendar days; even-numbered addresses any time on even calendar days. Stage 2: same days, but only between 12 a.m. and 9 a.m. Stage 3: odd addresses Tuesdays and Saturdays, even addresses Wednesdays and Sundays, 12 a.m. to 9 a.m. Stage 4: all watering with treated drinking water prohibited. Only one hose may be used for sprinkling at a time. - Source: [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015 (office consolidation), Sch. C; s. 19(b)](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/66505) - Official wording: "STAGE 1: Properties with odd" … "water between 12am and 9am on" … "Tuesdays and Saturdays." … "street addresses may water between 12am and 9am on Wednesdays" … "No Consumer shall use more than one (1) hose for sprinkling purposes at any one" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Allowed at any time:** Stage 3: flowers, vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs and trees only by hand with a spring-loaded shut-off nozzle, or with containers or drip irrigation. Underground sprinkler systems on a time clock are exempt from Stage 1 restrictions only if run between midnight and 7 a.m. Stage 4: all watering with treated drinking water is prohibited. Vehicles may be washed in Stages 1 and 2 only with a hose with a spring-loaded shut-off. - Source: [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015 (office consolidation), Sch. C; s. 19(c)](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/66505) - Official wording: "STAGE 3: Only if done by hand" … "using a spring-loaded shut-off" … "nozzle, or using containers or drip" … "exempted from sprinkling regulations during Stage 1, as outlined in Schedule C, only" … "STAGES 1-2: Only with hose" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **New lawns:** Stages 1 and 2: sprinkling outside the restricted times is allowed for new (establishing) lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers only at the discretion of the Director of Infrastructure and with a special permit displayed on the lawn. Stages 3 and 4: no new permits are issued or renewed and all watering with treated drinking water is prohibited. - Source: [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015 (office consolidation), Sch. C](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/66505) - Official wording: "STAGES 1-2: Sprinkling outside" … "restricted times allowed only at the" … "discretion of the Director of" … "Infrastructure & with special permits" … "STAGES 3-4: No new permits" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Fine:** Bylaw notice: $100 for failing to comply with the sprinkling restrictions (s. 19(a)) and $100 for using more than one hose at a time (s. 19(b)), each with a $20 discount if paid within 14 days and a $20 surcharge if paid after 28 days. No municipal ticket is listed for waterworks offences. - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2818, 2026, App. 25](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/159841) - Official wording: "19(a) Failure to comply with $100 $20 $20" … "19(b) Using more than one hose for $100 $20 $20" … "if Paid within 14 days of the bylaw notice being received" - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2818, 2026, s. 7, Sch. A](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/159841) - Official wording: "if Paid within 14 days of the bylaw notice being received" … "the amount of the surcharge in Column A3 of Schedule "A" shall be due" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015 - Source: [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015 (office consolidation), s. 1](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/66505) - Official wording: "Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works The [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425]() has four water conservation stages in Schedule C. The City sets the stage, and no calendar dates are written in the bylaw. Stage 1 is the minimum and is in effect most of the year; Stage 2 is common in summer. The restrictions apply only to treated drinking water. ## Steps 1. Check the current stage on the City's Utilities page, or call 604-485-8604. 2. Follow your stage: - Stage 1: odd-numbered addresses any time on odd calendar days; even-numbered addresses any time on even calendar days. - Stage 2: same days, but only between 12 a.m. and 9 a.m. - Stage 3: odd addresses Tuesdays and Saturdays, even addresses Wednesdays and Sundays, 12 a.m. to 9 a.m. - Stage 4: all watering with treated drinking water is prohibited. 3. Use only one hose for sprinkling at a time. ## Good to know - Stage 3: flowers, vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs and trees may be watered only by hand with a spring-loaded shut-off nozzle, or with containers or drip irrigation. - Underground sprinkler systems on a time clock are exempt from Stage 1 restrictions only if run between midnight and 7 a.m. - Vehicles may be washed in Stages 1 and 2 only with a hose with a spring-loaded shut-off. - New lawns: in Stages 1 and 2, sprinkling outside the restricted times is allowed for new lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers only at the discretion of the Director of Infrastructure, with a special permit displayed on the lawn. In Stages 3 and 4 no new permits are issued or renewed. No permit fee is stated. - The Director may impose further sprinkling regulations. - A bylaw notice is $100 for failing to comply with the sprinkling restrictions and $100 for using more than one hose at a time ($20 discount if paid within 14 days; $20 surcharge if paid after 28 days). No municipal ticket is listed for waterworks offences. ## Official forms and pages - [Water Restrictions Schedule C (excerpt from Bylaw 2425)](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/64731) - [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/66505) ## The same question elsewhere - [Watering restrictions in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/water-restrictions.md) - [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/water-restrictions.md) - [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/water-restrictions.md) - [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/water-restrictions.md) - [Qualicum Beach](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/water-restrictions.md) - [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/water-restrictions.md) - [Parksville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/parksville/water-restrictions.md) ## Sources - [Waterworks Regulations and Rates Bylaw 2425, 2015 (office consolidation)](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/66505) (read 2026-11-05) - [Utilities, City of Powell River](https://powellriver.ca/pages/utilities) (read 2026-11-05) - [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2818, 2026 (PDF)](https://powellriver.civicweb.net/document/159841) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Powell River. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/water-restrictions/_