Vancouver hands out more than $71,000 in water restriction fines as drought intensifies

Hundreds of Vancouver residents have violated water restrictions, despite a conservation warning from the B.C. government as drought conditions intensify.

Since water restrictions came into effect May 1, Vancouver has issued 287 $250 fines for breaking water restriction laws for a total of $71,750, according to city staff Saturday.

On top of that the city has issued 395 warnings or letters to residents to advise them of unnecessary water usage.

Watering restrictions are in place from May 1 to Oct. 15 every year and align with Metro Vancouver’s water conservation plan.

Many municipalities, including Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby, have adopted the restrictions, which were updated by Metro Vancouver last year to only allow watering of lawns once a week. Residents with an even-numbered address can use automatic watering from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Saturdays, while those with odd-numbered addresses can water on Sundays during the same hours.