There’s one in every block, isn’t there? That guy across the street who just has to keep his lawn nice and green, watering restrictions be darned, and who keeps that sprinkler going regardless of what time or day it is.
Don’t be that guy, OK?
If there’s anyone out there who remains unaware that the region is facing a potentially critical water shortage this summer, we’re not quite sure what rock they’ve been living under. To those people, and to those who know but who choose not to care, we issue this reminder: Be responsible with water use this summer.
Sure, it’s great if you can do the required minimum. As of press time, Metro Vancouver has declared Stage 2 water restrictions, which means restricting your lawn sprinkling to one designated morning a week from 4 to 9 a.m. (even-numbered homes on Mondays, odd-numbered homes on Thursdays).
At the very least, please abide by those rules.
But, frankly, doing the bare minimum just isn’t enough when we’re facing the kind of drought this summer is bringing us.
Even if the small amount of rainfall forecast for the weekend does come to pass, it won’t be enough to restore our water levels to anywhere near normal.
We all need to be going above and beyond the call of lawn sprinkling duty to make sure this water shortage doesn’t become a major crisis.
Which means taking a few extra measures to save water in your own house before you point a finger at that guy across the street.
It’s not rocket science, people.
Take shorter showers.
Don’t flush the toilet every single time you use it.
Turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth or washing dishes.
Use “grey water” from baths or dishes to water your flowers and shrubs.
Quit washing your car.
Don’t powerwash the deck and the driveway.
And, above all, just let that lawn go brown. Brown grass doesn’t hurt anything – and the water we can save turning off those sprinklers can add up to the difference between low water levels and a full-blown emergency.
In other words, just stop and think before you turn on the tap.
Our planet will thank you later.
