Residents throughout the province are urged to conserve water through potential droughts

MERRITT – The Government of B.C. is urging people across the province to conserve water as potential drought conditions throughout the summer are prevalent.

“Everyone is responsible to do their part to conserve water and reduce the risk of negatively affecting the environment and other water users,” wrote the Government in a release. “Water suppliers and vendors are also asked to ensure that they have an adequate water supply until rainfall can improve conditions.”

According to officials, the recent ran has provided some relief for regions around B.C., but it as not been enough to overcome the limited rain and precipitation from previous months.

In Merritt, the drought level is sitting at three, which means adverse impacts are possible. Level three water restrictions are also in place within the City of Merritt.

Some tips for businesses and residents that officials provided include:

• At home
  • Limit outdoor watering
    • Lawns
  • Do not water during the heat of the day or wind
  • Plant drought-tolerant vegetation
  • Take shorter showers
  • Do full loads of laundry and dishes
• On the farm
  • Implement an irrigation-scheduling program
  • Schedule irrigation to match crop needs
  • Improve water system efficiencies
  • Focus on high-value crops and livestock
• Industry
  • Reduce non-essential water use
  • Recycle water used in operations
  • Use water-efficient methods and equipment