Port Moody Water Restrictions 2026
Published: May 5, 2026
Metro Vancouver Regional District · British Columbia
Restrictions Active - Stage 2 — All Lawn Watering Banned
0
Lawn Days/Week
Lawn: Prohibited every day
Allowed Hours
Up to $500 per infraction
Fine
What is banned
Stage 2 prohibits all lawn watering in Port Moody ("City of the Arts"), including Heritage Mountain, Newport Village, College Park, and the Brewers Row craft brewery district along Murray Street. Trees, shrubs, perennials, and flower beds may be watered any day from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM with a sprinkler, or any time with a hand-held hose fitted with an automatic shut-off nozzle, or by drip irrigation. Brewery production water use is not affected — the ban applies to outdoor landscape irrigation, not industrial process water.
What is still allowed
💧 Hand watering
Trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetable gardens — any time with a hand-held hose fitted with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
🌿 Drip irrigation & soaker hoses
Permitted any time. Drip is exempt from sprinkler hour windows.
🥬 Vegetable gardens
Watering vegetable gardens by hand or drip is permitted at any time, even during the strictest stages.
🪣 Rain barrels
Rainwater collected on your own property is unrestricted and may be used at any time for any purpose.
Fines & enforcement
Up to $500 per infraction
City of Port Moody Bylaw Services issues fines up to $500 per infraction under the Port Moody Water Restriction Bylaw. There is no warning period. Officers coordinate informally with Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam enforcement, since the three cities share many residents and businesses.
Effective: May 1, 2026🏠 Strata rules
BC strata corporations cannot fine residents or owners for brown or dormant lawns during active regional water restrictions. A strata bylaw requiring lawn watering in conflict with Metro Vancouver Stage 2 is unenforceable under the BC Strata Property Act.
Why these restrictions exist in Port Moody
Port Moody — "City of the Arts," population approximately 36,000, at the eastern end of Burrard Inlet — is bound by Metro Vancouver Stage 2 effective May 1, 2026. The compact city's tourism economy is anchored by Brewers Row, the craft brewery district along Murray Street, and Rocky Point Park — both have outdoor patios and landscape that are subject to Stage 2 rules. Brewery production water (used for brewing, not for landscape) is industrial process water and is not covered by the ban. Metro Vancouver went directly to Stage 2 from no-stage because provincial snowpack measured ~50% of normal at peak and the First Narrows Crossing supply main has been offline since fall 2025 for the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel project. Capilano and Seymour reservoirs entered May at 65 to 70% of seasonal target. The Inlet Centre SkyTrain Station — terminus of the Evergreen Extension — is the visible Port Moody landmark for residents tracking the daily commute alongside drought conditions.
How to keep your Port Moody lawn alive
10 tips for Port Moody homeowners.
Brewers Row breweries: production water use is unaffected, but outdoor patio landscape irrigation follows Stage 2.
Rocky Point Park's landscape is City-managed and follows Stage 2 rules; visible adherence sets community expectations.
Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass dominate Port Moody single-family lawns; both survive 4 to 6 weeks of dormancy without lasting damage.
Mow at 75 to 90 mm to shade the soil — Heritage Mountain south-facing slopes have higher evapotranspiration than inlet-side flats.
Hand-water mature trees in the 5 to 9 AM window — older Newport Village and College Park canopy is the highest-value asset.
Convert flower beds to drip irrigation — drip is exempt from the morning sprinkler window.
Install a rain barrel — captured rainwater is unrestricted at all stages.
Apply 50 to 75 mm of bark mulch around shrubs and trees to retain moisture.
Skip fertiliser through August — nitrogen forces growth dormant turf cannot support.
Monitor portmoody.ca and metrovancouver.org weekly — Stage 3 in early June would ban automatic irrigation for trees and shrubs as well.
Port Moody water restriction FAQs
Are there water restrictions in Port Moody?
Get alerts for Port Moody, British Columbia
We will email you when Port Moody restrictions change – escalations, new stages, or lifted restrictions.
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime.
Other British Columbia cities
Community Reports & Questions
Share an update, ask a question, or report a change in your local restrictions.
No community reports yet
Be the first to share a local update, ask a question, or report a change in your area's restrictions.