Chateauguay lightens its sprinkling restrictions

After nearly a month of a watering ban, the City of Chateauguay is lessening its restrictions of using tap water. It is still forbidden to spray lawns and clean the outside of houses until further notice, however. The filling up of swimming pools is once again permitted according to the regular schedule, between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., the City specifies in a press release. It is also possible to wash one’s car “by using water in a responsible manner,” the City emphasizes. The manual spraying, with a sprinkling can, of flower gardens and vegetable gardens, is still permitted. “The City recommends that citizens use water coming from a rainwater recuperator container to sprinkle flowers and roadbeds. This turns out to be a beautiful initiative for saving drinking water,” the City indicates. The notice banning sprinkling was in force since June 16. The City mentions that the rain received in recent days is permitting it to lessen the restrictions. but that the precipitation deficit  since the start of the year obliges it to maintain certain rules. “Let us remember that because of weather conditions which are currently raging, tap water is being overused by the residents. As a result, the City is urging the population to ration the use of water for essential purposes. The ban remains necessary in order to avoid the overconsumption of our resource and the preservation of the integrity of our equipment during this period which solicits debits capable of passing 50% of our average annual day,” the municipality justifies. Chateauguay reminds that it uses non-treated water for the sweeping of streets and spraying of municipal landscape arrangements. It also recalls that it is forbidden for citizens to use fire hydrants on its aqueduct system. “If the citizens notice such a situation, we invite them to report the event to 450-698-3150,” the City indicates. A surveillance continues on the territory. Inspectors, firemen or police officers can hand out infraction tickets to those breaking the law. (Translation Dan Rosenburg)