Water features across the city
Our Water Works By-law 4848 PDF file (389 KB) prohibits features that do not re-use (recirculate) water.
To comply with this by-law, and with Metro Vancouver's Drinking Water Conservation Plan PDF file (2.1 MB), we're turning off several non-recirculating water features across the city and evaluating which ones can be retrofit to use less water in the future.
Water feature inventory and condition assessment
We have initiated a water feature inventory and condition assessment. This project includes a mechanical, electrical, structural, and regulatory review of over 50 decorative fountains, waterfalls, spray parks, and wading pools throughout the park system. The project will deliver a plan for asset rehabilitation including cost estimates for bringing features into compliance with regulatory requirements.
Vancouver’s potable water supplies are strained by climate change and we’re working to prioritize water use to where it’s needed most.
Our population is growing rapidly and we face increasingly frequent and severe drought and heat events throughout our summers, when demand for water is at its highest.
We need to use water to keep people and pets cool and hydrated, to irrigate drought-sensitive plants and trees, to provide sanitation services, and for many other uses.
Reducing potable water use
In 2017, the Park Board approved the 2017-2020 Park Board Water Conservation Action Plan (WCAP). This initial WCAP was created to align with the Greenest City Action Plan (GCAP), which was approved by Vancouver Council in 2011. Since then, the Park Board has met its water use reduction target of 33% from a 2006 baseline.
In 2022, Park Board staff are in the process of updating this plan, now called the Water Priority Action Plan.
Our new Water Priority Action Plan will help us:
- Achieve a 10% reduction in potable water use from 2019 levels
- Support habitats and ecosystems to be more resilient to a changing climate
- Enable us to continue providing critical services in parks and recreation facilities
Check back later for the final version of this updated plan.
Connect with us
#parksteward
