Canada/No more watering lawns with drinking water in Shawinigan

Shawinigan has become one of the first cities in Quebec to introduce a complete and permanent ban on watering lawns with drinking water. The by-law was adopted Tuesday evening at the city council meeting.

We've had congratulations from all over Quebec," says Mayor Michel Angers, who thought it was logical to make this change at this time. According to him, Shawinigan is even the very first to introduce such a measure.

At a time when we're protesting the cutting down of trees or heat islands, taking drinking water - probably the most precious commodity we can't have - and watering our lawns, I think it's from another era," says the mayor of Shawinigan.

Michel Angers is confident that citizens will find other ways to maintain their lawns. In Shawinigan, we've decided that there are other ways of keeping a decent lawn, whether it's with herbicycling or something else. [...] There will certainly be ways of using rain barrels," he gives as an example.

"Think about it, using drinking water to water a lawn that looks like a golf course is from another era."

- A quote from Michel Angers, Mayor of Shawinigan

For the last three summer seasons (2020 to 2022), a watering ban was in effect in Shawinigan (a complete ban in 2021 and partial bans in 2020 and 2022), says the city. These measures reduced daily consumption of drinking water by around 13%.

In the wake of this by-law, Shawinigan is launching a campaign called L'interdiction d'arroser son gazon... Une ost'eau de bonne idée! a slogan intended to be friendly and humorous, says the city in a press release.

Exceptions permitted

Watering a garden, vegetable patch, flower box, window box or flower bed remains permitted with a few restrictions.

Residents will be able to obtain a special seeding watering permit for new lawns, shrubs and cedar plantings.

In addition, Shawinigan residents who own a sprinkler system that is not connected to the City's network will be able to water their lawns with this system.

Source: ici.radio-canada.ca