Whitchurch-Stouffville residents are now under outdoor watering restrictions as the Town enforces its seasonal bylaw, part of York Region‘s framework to manage the drinking water supply during the hot summer months.
The rules, which run from May 15 to September 30 every year, use an odd/even system. If your street address is an odd number, you can water on odd-numbered calendar days. Even-numbered addresses water on even-numbered days.
In Whitchurch-Stouffville, outdoor watering is only allowed during two windows on your assigned day: from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This applies to lawns, gardens, and other outdoor water use.
The York Region says outdoor water use nearly doubles in summer, putting added stress on a system that supplies about 325 million litres of drinking water every day to more than 1.25 million residents across nine municipalities.
Anyone who breaks the bylaw could face fines reportedly starting at $300. However, there is a one-month grace period for newly planted sod or grass seed. The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville notes that fresh sod or seed does not need to follow the regular watering schedule for that first month.
The region reminds everyone that simply sticking to the alternating-day schedule helps keep water available for essential needs like drinking and firefighting during peak summer demand.
