Port Moody staff have discovered an innovative way of keeping city flower beds' thirst quenched during the summer's watering restrictions and are likely to expand it to other applications in the future.
About a month ago, parks and public works staff discovered they could draw on groundwater flowing off Burnaby and Heritage mountains. The steady supply means crews can continue watering display beds, planters and street trees without affecting Metro Vancouver's potable water supply, which is currently under stage 3 watering restrictions.
Dave Kidd, PoMo's director of parks and public works, said the water was tested for contaminants before use and the city's environmental staff confirmed there would be no negative impacts to using the groundwater.
"Even when we were drawing the water from the sump, there was no noticeable impact," Kidd added, noting there is a steady supply of groundwater flowing in the two locations.
Using just one truck was so successful that staff outfitted a second truck for watering, and crews are now filling both up to four times a day to water at city facilities, garden beds and planters at about 128 locations up to three times a week.
Kidd said using the recycled groundwater will save 1.6 million litres of potable water throughout the season, equivalent to the amount one household would use in 10 years.
"It was a solution to the stage 3 watering restriction but the plan moving forward is to continue using the recycled groundwater," Kidd added, and possibly expanding the uses to street cleaning and hydro excavating.
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