Effective as of Wednesday, Rossland will move to stage-three watering restrictions.
The restrictions limit watering for odd numbered residences to odd numbered days between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and for even-numbered houses on even-numbered days during the same hours.
These restrictions apply to both manual and automatic watering systems. Water must not spray onto sidewalks, driveways or roads.
“If this weather trend continues, we may be into stage four within a couple few weeks,” says Darrin Albo, manager of public works. “Or even earlier.”
Under stage-four restrictions, watering of all lawns is prohibited. Water can also not be used to fill pools, wading pools, garden ponds or decorative fountains, unless they are self-circulating. Water can also not be used to wash sidewalks, driveways, building exteriors or to wash vehicles at home.
Watering your garden is allowed, but only using a hand-held hose with a spring-loaded shut off device or using handheld containers.
Albo says Rossland’s reservoir levels have dropped, and though he has the option of dropping water from the Ophir Reservoir into the Star Gulch Reservoir — “and I would do that before we go into stage four” — best practice is to try to conserve water by using less under the stage three restrictions.