Dear Editor,

[Re: 91原创 couple irked by lawn watering rules, langleyadvancetimes.com, Aug. 17]

I confess that that I laughed, long and loud, when I read the letter from Ray and Yvonne Mostat about watering restrictions. I thought it was parody or a satirical rant on entitlement and lack of basic knowledge about watering. And then I started to wonder if the Mostats were, in fact, truly serious about how angry they are about having a brown lawn during a Level 5 Drought (see: BC Drought Information Portal).

It may surprise them to learn that Lake Country, Oliver, Kelowna, and Cranbrook, not to mention the U.S. states of Idaho and Washington, are not in our geographic region. Nor are they regulated by the same governments. The Township of 91原创 website outlines watering restrictions for the Township: https://www.tol.ca/en/news/lawn-watering-prohibited-under-stage-2-restrictions.aspx.

I suggest that if they have questions about what is watered and when it is allowed, they contact the Township directly with their questions, rather than complaining of the unfairness of watering children鈥檚 play areas.

Information on Metro Vancouver water, including reservoir levels, and links to tips on effective watering while conserving can be found at:

https://metrovancouver.org/services/water/lawn-watering-regulations

Here鈥檚 a handy chart of what is allowed at different restriction levels:

https://metrovancouver.org/services/water/Documents/drinking-water-conservation-plan-summary.pdf

As for the assertion that grapes, trees, shrubs and any non-lawn landscape components are not allowed to be watered, under our current Stage 2 restrictions, 鈥済arden, tree, shrub, and flowerbed water restrictions remain unchanged from Stage 1.鈥� (Township website).

In reassurance, I can advise that brown lawns are not 鈥渄ead.鈥� They are dormant. Deciduous trees drop their leaves in the fall, and this doesn鈥檛 mean they are dead either. They are dormant for the winter and grow new leaves in the spring. A healthy tree canopy is of critical importance for us all. Please stop worrying about your lawn and instead, mulch and water smaller trees. They need you.

You aren鈥檛 being 鈥減unished.鈥� You are being asked to chip into our community as best you can and be a good citizen.

When people gripe about their brown lawns and use language like: 鈥淲e are totally frustrated watching our quarter-acre parcel become burned beyond description,鈥� it reeks of misinformation and entitlement and is, frankly, tone deaf.

As I looked at the news and BC Wildfire Service maps online, I thought about the people I know or strangers in other parts of the province who are evacuating forest fires. Those people are worried about the safety of their loved ones, their animals, and the prospect of losing everything they own, not the colour of their lawns.

Catherine Grey, South 91原创

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鈥� READ MORE: LETTER: People helping people is 鈥榤y鈥� 91原创

鈥� READ MORE: Poll - Just over half of respondents in favour of banning lawn watering May to October

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