Water Conservation Bylaw and Water Restrictions
Why you may see water restrictions
VAID has been managing and conserving water for many years, with our first conservation bylaw introduced in 2016. In Van Anda, limits on water use are mostly about how much water our treatment plant can handle, not about running out of source water.
At times of very high use—especially around the first long weekend of summer—demand can briefly push the system to its limits. When that happens, temporary water restrictions help keep everything running safely.
After major leak repairs in 2025, overall water use is down, so restrictions are generally less frequent and less strict than in the past. Even so, a bit of conservation during busy periods helps everyone.
Learn more about how VAID plans ahead on our Drought Preparation page.
VAID has updated the watering restrictions to be more easily followed and similar to those in Gillies Bay. A summary of the bylaw can be found below the chart. Link to download full bylaw: Water Conservation Bylaw
Download the Chart of Water Conservation Stages
See our page Tips for Water Conservation
Water conservation rules summary
To help protect our water supply, some basic water‑use rules apply year‑round, and additional restrictions may apply during the summer.
Always in effect (all year)
These rules apply at all times:
- Fix leaks and don’t let taps, hoses, or appliances run unnecessarily.
- Use only the amount of water needed for the task — avoid over‑watering lawns and gardens.
- Don’t spray water onto hard surfaces like streets, sidewalks, driveways, or parking lots.
When watering is allowed
- Watering is not allowed during the hottest part of the day (generally between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.).
- Hoses must have an automatic shut‑off nozzle.
- Hand watering is allowed using a watering can or a hose with a shut‑off nozzle.
- Vehicles, boats, windows, and outdoor surfaces may only be washed using a container or a hose with a shut‑off nozzle.
- Drip and micro‑irrigation systems may be used for trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables as needed.
Seasonal watering stages
Watering rules change through the summer depending on conditions:
Stage 1 (typically May 15 – June 30)
- Watering follows odd/even house numbers (odd houses on odd days, even houses on even days).
- Lawn watering is limited to once per week.
- Pools, hot tubs, and water features may be filled or topped up between noon and 4 p.m*
Stage 2 (typically July 1 – September 30)
- Odd/even house number watering continues.
- Lawn watering is limited to one hour, once per week.
- Pools, hot tubs, and water features may be filled or topped up between noon and 4 p.m*
- Washing hard surfaces is only allowed for safety, construction, or required maintenance.
Stage 3 (when severe conditions occur)
- Hand watering of trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables is allowed for up to one hour per day.
- Not allowed in Stage 3:
- Lawn watering
- Washing vehicles (except for safety items like windows and lights)
- Filling pools, hot tubs, ponds, or fountains
- Washing outdoor surfaces such as driveways, decks, patios, sidewalks, or windows
The Board of Trustees may adjust stages or dates at any time if conditions change.
* Why pool filling is limited to the afternoon:
Pool and hot‑tub filling is scheduled for the afternoon because this is typically one of the lowest water‑use periods of the day, outside of the middle of the night. Limiting filling to set daytime hours helps keep demand predictable and avoids large volumes of water being drawn continuously overnight, when issues are harder to detect and manage. This approach helps protect system capacity while still allowing pool and hot‑tub use.
