Press Releases

Chilliwack, BC: Annual summer watering restrictions are in effect for the City of Chilliwack from June 1 – September 30. Each year, the City enters stage 2 watering restrictions in order to conserve water early, and this time residents could win prizes for letting their lawns turn brown.

Chilliwack residents are invited to participate in the City’s Ugliest Lawn Contest this summer for a chance to win one of three Visa gift cards. To participate, residents should submit photos of their maintained, but not watered (dormant), brown lawns to [email protected]. Additional entries can be made with photos of vegetable gardens or other water conservation initiatives, like rain barrels or rock gardens.

Lawn watering accounts for approximately 30% of Chilliwack’s summer water consumption. In stage 2 watering restrictions, residents with even numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) may water on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 5-8 am or 7-10 pm, and residents with odd addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) may water on Thursdays and Sundays, also between 5-8 am or 7-10 pm.

“In the summer, our water use nearly doubles,” said Mayor Popove. “Taking these small steps to follow watering restrictions now will help preserve our water supply so that all the people, plants, and animals in Chilliwack have what they need through the dry season. I look forward to seeing how many residents do their part and take on the Ugliest Lawn Contest!”

Most lawns only require 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) of water per week. Watering during designated times and on designated days helps conserve the water supply, and watering in the morning minimizes the amount of water lost to evaporation.

Photos for the Ugliest Lawn Contest will be accepted until October 13, 2023. For full contest details and more information about summer watering restrictions, visit chilliwack.com/water.