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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, August 2, 2013 | 4 Your Halton Connection August 2013 www.halton.ca Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use by Regional Chair Gary Carr In Halton Region we are very fortunate to be located near one of the world's largest fresh water sources ­ Lake Ontario. While it may seem that we have an abundance of water at our finger tips, it is still critical to be mindful of our water use especially in the summer months. Water conservation is very important during the summer when water consumption can double due to the increase in outdoor water use from activities such as lawn watering and car washing. While we have been fortunate this year to have experienced some rainfall with our hot temperatures, there are still several more weeks of summer to go. Halton Region is asking residents to continue being mindful of outdoor water use to ensure there is enough water for essential and emergency services like firefighting. It only takes a few hot days with peak water demand to see an impact on the Region's water distribution system. One simple thing residents can do to help conserve water around the house is to follow Halton's water restriction levels when they are in place. Halton's Outdoor Water Use Program consists of a three level, numeric, colour-coded system that considers factors, including water demand, water storage levels, groundwater levels and weather patterns: LEVEL 2 (Yellow) ­ Limited Use · Mandatory odd/even lawn watering between 6 a.m. ­ 9 a.m. & 6 p.m. ­ 9 p.m. · Properties with odd address numbers water on odd numbered calendar days · Properties with even address numbers water on even numbered calendar days · Use a hand-held device such as a watering can to water trees, shrubs and gardens. LEVEL 3 (Red) ­ Stop Use · No outdoor lawn watering or car washing is permitted in order to conserve water for emergency and essential services. · Watering of trees, shrubs and gardens can be done using a hand-held device following the odd/even watering rule. All Halton municipalities are currently at Blue, LEVEL 1. Residents are asked to be mindful of their outdoor water use by following the odd/ even watering rule to help prevent entering into mandatory water restrictions. Environmental protection and the conservation of water is a key initiative in Halton Region's Citizens' Priorities Action Plan. By working together, we can all make a difference in order to reduce water consumption. To learn more about the Outdoor Water Use Program dial 311 or visit www.halton.ca/ waterconservation. Tips to help reduce your outdoor water use: · Only water your lawns and gardens between 6 a.m. ­ 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ­ 9 p.m. on odd or even days that correspond with your house number. · Don't wash your driveway with a hose. Use a rake or broom instead. · If you own an automatic irrigation system, install moisture sensors or a central controller to avoid lawn watering during rainfall. · Use drought-tolerant plants and place mulch around them to lock in moisture. · Know how to turn off your automatic irrigation system in the event of any outdoor water use restrictions. · Use a rain barrel to capture rain water to water your plants and garden. This page has been donated by this newspaper to communicate important information to Halton residents at no cost to taxpayers. LEVEL 1 (Blue) ­ Careful Use · Voluntary odd/even lawn watering between 6 a.m. ­ 9 a.m. & 6 p.m. ­ 9 p.m. · Properties with odd address numbers water on odd numbered calendar days · Properties with even address numbers water on even numbered calendar days · Car washing and watering of trees, shrubs and gardens is allowed. · Although level one is voluntary, resident cooperation to reduce regular outdoor water use is important. To sign up for email alerts about water restriction level changes visit www.halton.ca/ waterconservation. We welcome your feedback. Contact us at AccessHalton@halton.ca