During the heat of the summer our lawns often need to be watered. The Region of Waterloo has an outdoor water use by-law that comes into effect when there is a drought or when drinking water storage runs low.

Here is a PDF outlining the by-law: Water Use Postcard (Stage 2). Stage 1 is in effect year-round in The Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Stage 2 is in effect from May 31 to September 30.

...

These are the current lawn watering policies as of May 1, 2012. Please check the links at the end of this article if you need to insure that this article is up to date.

Stage 1

Outdoor Water Use Stage 1 occurs when the weather is not too dry and when residents are not placing an excessive demand on our water supply.

At this stage, residents are asked to abide by the odd-even outdoor water use rules: residents with odd-numbered addresses water on odd-numbered days, and residents with even-numbered addresses water on even-numbered days. You are permitted to water your lawn between 7:00-10:00 a.m. and 7:00-11:00 p.m. on your designated days.

This rule is in effect year-round in Waterloo Region under normal water supply conditions for all residents, businesses, and institutions.

Stage 2

Outdoor Water Use Stage 2 is in effect from May 31 to September 30.

During this stage, residents, businesses, and institutions are permitted to water one day per week, according to the number of their street address. See below to determine your watering day.

• If your address ends in 0 or 1 your watering day is Monday
• If your address ends in 2 or 3 your watering day is Tuesday
• If your address ends in 4 or 5 your watering day is Wednesday
• If your address ends in 6 or 7 your watering day is Thursday
• If your address ends in 8 or 9 your watering day is Friday

All watering must take place between the hours of 5:30-10:00 a.m. and 7:00-11:00 p.m. Since weekends are already peak water use times, watering outdoors is not permitted on Saturday or Sunday. Residents, apartments, businesses, and institutions with automatically timed sprinklers are expected to adjust their timers accordingly.

During Outdoor Water Use Stage 2, Regional By-law Enforcement Officers will enforce the rules and issue fines for non-compliance.

For more information visit these websites:

City of Waterloo Lawn Watering Restrictions

City of Kitchener Outdoor Water Use By-Law

Region of Waterloo - Water Conservation Questions Answered