City Council to consider improved water conservation regulations

July 13, 2009

(Red Deer, Alberta) – A request to make improvements to the current Land Use Bylaw is going forward to City Council. The amendment would help conserve water in Red Deer by using more plant life that is native to Central Alberta’s environment.

“Water is an important renewable but limited resource,” said Emily Damberger, Planner with Parkland Community Planning Services. “The City of Red Deer, through The Water Conservation Strategy, looks at more sustainable approaches to managing the amount of water that is used in the city; in doing this we ensure that we preserve our city’s water supply.”

The goal of the proposed landscaping regulations is to promote and encourage water conservation by using plants and materials that encourage water conservation. The term “Naturescaping” is the use of drought resistant, or plants that don’t require a lot of watering. In Red Deer, peak daily water demands double in summer due to outdoor uses, such as lawn watering. Grass is the highest water consumer in landscaping.

Naturescaping landscaping methods could be accomplished by selecting more drought resistant or local plant materials that are familiar to the Central Alberta environment.

The changes to the bylaw target large commercial, residential, industrial, or institutional developments. Single family residents would not be subject to the naturescaping requirements. Although smaller developments are not addressed by this Land Use Bylaw amendment, The City encourages residential water conservation through Water Conservation Tips on The City’s website at www.reddeer.ca.

Please send any comments to Emily Damberger by July 20, 2009. The proposed regulations will be going forward to Red Deer’s City Council for approval on July 27.

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For more information, please contact:

Emily Damberger, Planner
Parkland Community Planning Services.
403-343-3394
The City of Red Deer