Irrigation industry calls for better water management as Abby-Mission enters Stage 2 restrictions
ABBOTSFORD — An irrigation industry group is asking officials to get better water-efficiency methods as Abbotsford-Mission enters Stage 2 water restrictions in response to rising demand.
Both municipalities implemented new restrictions on July 31 as outdoor watering in the summer, primarily in lawns, created a “significant increase” in local drinking and firefighting water use.
Vegetable gardens, as well as fruit trees and shrubs, are exempt from the rules, but the guidelines do ask commercial flower and vegetable farms within the Urban Development Area to limit water use to a minimum.
The Irrigation Industry Association of B.C. is now calling on local governments to work with irrigation professionals to use long-term water conservation and restriction strategies, especially in agriculture-heavy areas.
