The Hedley City Council renewed its Drought Contingency Plan and enacted Stage 4 water restrictions in that city during a called meeting last Wednesday, April 16.
The restrictions in Hedley are similar to those in Clarendon, but Hedley’s Stage 4 rules also implement high water rates to encourage conservation.
“[Greenbelt General Manager] Bobbie Kidd said that higher rates are the best way to curtail usage,” City Secretary Diana Postma told the Enterprise.
Hedley charges a base rate of $52.90 for water up to 2,000 gallons per month with an additional $4 charge for every thousand gallons above that. Stage 4 keeps the base rate, but usage above 2,000 gallons will now cost $20 per thousand gallons. That rate increases to $25 per thousand above 10,000 gallons, $30 per thousand above 20,000 gallons, $35 per thousand above 30,000 gallons, and $40 per thousand above 40,000 gallons.
The higher rates are only applicable when the city is in Stage 4 and will return to the usual rates when Greenbelt Lake levels rise enough to come out of Stage 4.
Postma said the city will also be doing more to encourage people to fix water leaks.
Hedley’s Stage 4 restrictions and charges will go into effect with the city’s May billing cycle, which Postma says starts on April 28.
Other Stage 4 restrictions in Hedley include:
Irrigation of landscaped areas shall be limited to Monday and Thursday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. and shall be by means of handheld hoses, handheld buckets, or DRIP irrigation only. The use of hose end sprinklers or permanently installed automatic sprinkler systems are prohibited at all times.
Use of water to wash down and motor vehicles, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle not occurring on the premises of a commercial car wash and commercial service stations and not in the immediate interest of public health, safety, and welfare is prohibited. Further, such vehicle washing at commercial car washes and commercial service stations shall occur only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
The filling, refilling or adding of water to swimming pools, wading pools, and Jacuzzi-type pools will be allowed only during allotted watering times.
Operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited except where necessary to support aquatic life or where such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.
Additional Service: The city of Hedley will allow applications for one meter per household. However, additional, expanded or increased-in-size water service connections, meters, service lines, pipeline extensions, mains, or water service facilities of any kind will not be allowed or approved.
All non-essential water use is prohibited. Non-essential water use: water uses that are not essential or required for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare, including: Irrigation of landscaped areas, including parks and athletic fields
Failure to repair customer controllable leak(s) after customer is notified of a leak the customer has 48 hours to submit a plan of action to the city for repair said leak(s); the plan of action needs to be completed within 14 days of notification of leak(s); if plan of action is not submitted and/or completion of repair(s) are not accomplished by the 14 days – this will result in water meter being pulled – until at such time repairs are completed and the City of Hedley has verified no leak present
Use of water from hydrants is for construction purposes is prohibited.
No sale of Bulk Water is allowed.
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