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Salt Spring Island watering restrictions

What are the current watering restrictions on Salt Spring, and what do the stages mean?

Salt Spring Island, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Salt Spring Island has no single water system. CRD systems follow CRD Bylaw 4492: Stage 1 applies May 1 to September 30 each year. North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD) restrictions apply April 1 to November 1 under its Bylaw 326. Hand watering of trees, shrubs, flowers and food plants is allowed any time at Stage 1, but lawns are limited. Check your provider for the current stage.

Key facts

When restrictions applyDepends on your water system. CRD-run systems (Cedar Lane, Cedars of Tuam, Highland/Fernwood, Fulford, Beddis): Stage 1 applies May 1 to September 30 each year; the CRD can bring in Stages 2 to 4 any time. North Salt Spring Waterworks District: restrictions apply April 1 to November 1.CRD Bylaw 4492, Electoral Areas Water Conservation Bylaw No. 1, 2023 (consolidated April 2025), s. 4; Watering Restrictions and Rates, NSSWD, page; Electoral Area Water Restrictions, Capital Regional District, alert · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
The Stage 1 Water Use Restrictions prescribed in Schedule “A” are in effect each year from May 1 to September 30 inclusive
terminate or bring into effect a Stage more restrictive than Stage 1 at any time of the year
Watering restrictions are in effect each year from April 1 to November 1.
Cedar Lane (Salt Spring Island): www.crd.ca/cedarlane-ws
Sprinkling scheduleCRD systems: Stage 1 lawns one day a week, 4-10 a.m. or 7-10 p.m.; Stage 2 one day per two weeks; Stage 3 and 4 no lawn watering. NSSWD sprinklers on existing lawns: Stage 1 up to three days a week, Stage 2 two, Stage 3 one, Stage 4 none; no fixed hours.CRD Bylaw 4492, Electoral Areas Water Conservation Bylaw No. 1, 2023 (consolidated April 2025), Sched. A ss. 1-3; Water Distribution Regulation Bylaw No. 326, NSSWD, Sched. B ss. 1.1.1, 2.1.1, 3.1.1, 4.1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
on more than one day per week between the hours of 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
on more than one day per two-week period
water a lawn, turf or Boulevard;
Watering existing lawns with a sprinkler system is permitted up to three days per week.
Watering existing lawns with a sprinkler system is permitted up to one day per week.
Watering existing lawns with a sprinkler system is not permitted.
Allowed at any timeCRD systems: watering trees, shrubs, flowers and food plants by hand-held container, hose with automatic shut-off nozzle, or drip or micro-irrigation is allowed any day and time in Stages 1 and 2 (lawns are still limited); Stage 3 one day a week, 4-10 a.m.; Stage 4 none. NSSWD: hand watering food plants anytime at every stage; ornamental hand watering anytime in Stages 1 to 3.Electoral Area Water Restrictions, Capital Regional District, Stage 1; CRD Bylaw 4492, Electoral Areas Water Conservation Bylaw No. 1, 2023 (consolidated April 2025), Sched. A s. 3(1)(b)(i), s. 4(1); Water Distribution Regulation Bylaw No. 326, NSSWD, Sched. B ss. 3.2.3, 4.3.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Hand watering of trees, shrubs, flowers and food gardens with a container, a hose with a shut-off valve or by micro/drip irrigation is permitted any day and time.
except where watering only one day per week between the hours of 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
all outdoor use of Water is prohibited
(a) no person shall, by any method, water a lawn growing on a property, including
(i) water trees, shrubs, flowers and for food production on any day with a
Watering food-producing plants and crops by hand is permitted anytime.
Watering trees, shrubs, plants and flowers by hand is permitted anytime.
New lawnsCRD systems at Stage 1: new sod may be watered outside lawn hours on installation day and for 21 days; new seed until growth is established or 49 days, whichever is less. NSSWD: new lawns sprinklers anytime in Stage 1; special permit (14 days) in Stage 2; not permitted in Stages 3 and 4.CRD Bylaw 4492, Electoral Areas Water Conservation Bylaw No. 1, 2023 (consolidated April 2025), Sched. A s. 1(1)(b)(iii); Water Distribution Regulation Bylaw No. 326, NSSWD, Sched. B ss. 1.1.2, 2.1.2, 5.1, 5.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
other than on new sod installation and during the first 21 days after installation, or for newly seeded lawns, water until growth is established or for 49 days after installation, whichever is less;
Watering new lawns with a sprinkler system requires a special permit.
Special watering permits will not be issued or valid during the Stage 4 Watering Restrictions.
FineCRD water systems, tickets: watering a lawn against Stage 1 rules $200; Stage 2 $250; Stage 3 $400; wasting water $200 to $400. NSSWD: breach is an Offence Act offence; a court can impose up to six months in jail or a $2,000 fine, or both.CRD Bylaw 1857, Ticket Information Authorization Bylaw, Sched. 20 items 2-6, 11, 21; Water Distribution Regulation Bylaw No. 326, NSSWD, s. 44 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Wasting water 7.(3) $200.00
Stage 1 – water lawn contrary to days/times Sch. A 1.(1)(a) $200.00
Stage 2 – water lawn contrary to days/times Sch. A 2.(1)(a) $250.00
Stage 3 – water lawn, turf, or boulevard Sch. A 3.(1)(a)(i) $400.00
A penalty of up to six months in jail or a $2,000 fine, or both, could be imposed by the Court if a summary conviction is obtained from the Court.
BylawCRD Electoral Areas Water Conservation Bylaw No. 1, 2023 (CRD Bylaw No. 4492) for CRD water systems; North Salt Spring Waterworks District Water Distribution Regulation Bylaw 2026 (Bylaw No. 326), Schedule B, for its customers.CRD Bylaw 4492, Electoral Areas Water Conservation Bylaw No. 1, 2023 (consolidated April 2025), title; Water Distribution Regulation Bylaw No. 326, NSSWD, title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
ELECTORAL AREAS WATER CONSERVATION BYLAW
WATER DISTRIBUTION REGULATION BYLAW 2026
BYLAW NO.326

How it works

Your rules depend on who supplies your water. The CRD runs several Salt Spring systems (Cedar Lane, Cedars of Tuam, Highland/Fernwood, Fulford and Beddis) under CRD Bylaw 4492. North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD) serves its own customers under Bylaw 326. Wells, rain barrels and other non-CRD water are not regulated by the CRD bylaw.

Good to know

  • Season: on CRD systems Stage 1 applies May 1 to September 30 each year, and the CRD can bring in Stages 2 to 4 at any time. NSSWD restrictions apply April 1 to November 1.
  • CRD lawns: Stage 1 one day a week, 4-10 a.m. or 7-10 p.m.; Stage 2 one day per two weeks; Stages 3 and 4 no lawn watering.
  • NSSWD sprinklers on existing lawns: Stage 1 up to three days a week, Stage 2 two, Stage 3 one, Stage 4 none. No fixed hours.
  • Hand watering: on CRD systems, trees, shrubs, flowers and food plants may be watered any day and time at Stages 1 and 2 by hand-held container, hose with automatic shut-off nozzle, or drip or micro-irrigation, while lawns stay limited. Stage 3 allows one day a week, 4-10 a.m.; Stage 4 none. NSSWD allows hand watering of food plants anytime at every stage, and ornamental hand watering anytime in Stages 1 to 3.
  • New lawns: on CRD systems at Stage 1, new sod may be watered outside lawn hours on installation day and for 21 days; new seed until growth is established or 49 days, whichever is less. NSSWD allows new-lawn sprinklers anytime at Stage 1, a 14-day special permit at Stage 2, and none at Stages 3 and 4.
  • Nurseries, farms, turf farms and tree farms are exempt from all CRD stages.
  • Penalties: CRD tickets are $200 for watering a lawn against Stage 1 rules, $250 at Stage 2, $400 at Stage 3, and $200 to $400 for wasting water. An NSSWD breach is an Offence Act offence, and NSSWD can turn off water on 24 hours' written notice.
  • The current stage changes often. Check the CRD alerts page or the NSSWD page before you water.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Watering restrictions in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. CRD Bylaw 4492, Electoral Areas Water Conservation Bylaw No. 1, 2023 (consolidated April 2025) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  2. Water Distribution Regulation Bylaw No. 326, NSSWD (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  3. Watering Restrictions and Rates, NSSWD (read 2026-11-05)
  4. Electoral Area Water Restrictions, Capital Regional District (read 2026-11-05)
  5. CRD Bylaw 1857, Ticket Information Authorization Bylaw (PDF) (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.