Background

Following the experiences of the 1992 summer drought, a need has been identified to prepare a
modified response plan to be followed in the event of a similar situation developing in 1993 and
future summers. Preliminary findings from analysis of the 1992 drought indicate that the Capilano
and Seymour sources as presently developed have a reliable supply capacity that is at feast
ten percent less than that previously determined. This leads to a high probability thar demand
reduction will be required each summer for the next several years at least, until the benefit of the
westerly wansfer scheme facilites can be obtained. The objective is a water shortage response
plan that will reduce water demand during the critical summer period, to levels that can be
sustained using available stored water. ‘To cover the range of possible required demand reduction,
a staged approach is proposed. Itis proposed that restrictions permitting sprinkling twice per week
during specific periods be adopted on the last weekend in May each year. This will provide an
oppormmnity to gauge the effectiveness of such restrictions early in the summer and improves the
chances of avoiding more stringent measures such as a complete sprinkling ban. Relaxation of
sprinkling restrictions or imposition of more severe measures would be governed by the forecast
of future inflow and demand, taking present storage volume into account. This forecast would be
prepared on a weekly basis, as in previous years, and communicated to the members by facsimile.
Over the next few months, we expect to engage a consultant to assist in separating the effect of
snowpack from rainfall on reservoir inflow with the goal of creating an inflow model that can
better predict the outcome of events such as occurred this past spring and summer.

The Water Shortage Response Plan (WSRP) is intended to set out the steps in sufficient detail so
that the member municipalities can adopt the plan in principle in its entirety. This will hopefully
avoid some of the problems encountered in 1992 due to the lead time associated with having to
approach council for each change of step in the program. It is built on the framework of the
original WSRP prepared prior to the summer of 1991, but modified to take into account the
knowledge gained in 1992 as a result of the ten week ban on lawn sprinkling.

1993 WSRP - DRAFT

Stage I - Water Conservation Advisory

Target implementation date is April 1, 1993.

Consists of advisory messages to the public via newspaper advertising principally, supplemented
by public-service type messages on radio.

The advertising will include ups on how to save water, emphasizing the correct way to water
lawns.