The Capital Regional District launched a new water conservation campaign on August 4, 2026, asking residents in Colwood and across Greater Victoria to let their lawns turn golden this summer. The Go Golden effort encourages people to stop watering their grass and instead focus on trees, gardens, and food-producing plants as dry conditions persist.
The campaign comes as the East Vancouver Island region faces Level 4 drought conditions, the second-highest severity category in British Columbia. Water supply is not enough to fully meet the needs of people and ecosystems. Summer water use in the area jumps by 44 percent, mostly from outdoor watering.
Residents who take part can send a photo of their golden lawn to [email protected] for a chance to win one of five gift cards to a local garden centre. The CRD says dormant grass is not dead and will green up again when cooler, wetter weather returns in the fall.
Current Stage 1 water restrictions allow lawn watering twice a week based on address. Even-numbered homes can water Wednesdays and Saturdays, while odd-numbered homes can water Thursdays and Sundays, between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. The rules are in effect from May 1 to September 30 each year for all communities served by the Regional Water Supply System, including Colwood, Langford, View Royal, and others.
The Go Golden approach also lines up with FireSmart principles by directing water to areas near homes and trees rather than across entire lawns. This helps lower wildfire risk during extremely dry weather. The CRD supplies treated drinking water from the Sooke Lake Reservoir to about 370,000 customers in the region.
