Watering

Watering is allowed on certain days at specific times.

Even street numbers

Lawns

• Manual watering or sprinkling: Monday and Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m.
• Automatic sprinklers: Monday and Thursday from 2 to 4 a.m.

Landscaping

• Manual watering: allowed at any time
• Sprinklers: Monday and Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m.
• Automatic sprinklers: Monday and Thursday from 2 to 4 a.m.

Odd street numbers

Lawns

• Manual watering or sprinkling: Tuesday and Friday from 8 to 10 p.m.

• Automatic sprinklers: Tuesday and Friday from 2 to 4 a.m 

Landscaping

• Manual watering: allowed at any time
• Sprinklers: Tuesday and Friday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Automatic sprinklers: Tuesday and Friday from 2 to 4 a.m.

Institutional, commercial and industrial (ICI) buildings and mixed-use buildings (even and odd addresses)

Lawns

• Manual watering or sprinkling: Wednesday, from 8 to 10 p.m.
• Automatic sprinklers: Wednesday from 2 to 4 a.m 

Landscaping

• Manual watering: allowed at any time
• Sprinklers: Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m.
• Automatic sprinklers: Wednesday from 2 to 4 a.m.

Authorized hours will be listed on the permit. 
No permits are valid between July 1^st and August 31^st.

Watering of new vegetation is allowed each day covered by the permit, which is available free of charge the Permits and Inspections Division or online.  The number of permits is limited to 150 at a single time. Only one hose can be used at a time on grassy areas.

Seeding and hydroseeding (14-day permit)

• Manual watering, sprinklers or automatic sprinklers: 7 to 9 p.m. and 5 to 6 a.m.

Sod (14-day permit)

• Manual watering or sprinkling: 8 to 11 p.m.
• Automatic sprinklers: 2 to 5 a.m.

Landscaping (14-day permit)

• Manual watering: allowed at any time except in the case of a watering ban or if it constitutes excessive water usage or waste
• Sprinkling: 8 to 11 p.m.
• Automatic sprinklers: 2 to 5 a.m.

Using City drinking water for the following is strictly forbidden:

• melting snow or ice
• letting water run or trickle (with the exception of properties that have been notified by the City during
  a freeze period)
• continuously supplying a decorative feature, except if the latter operates in a closed circuit
• washing a parking spot, driveway, entranceway or patio without a permit
• watering the lawn or other plants when it is raining or when the ground is soaked
• washing a building more than twice a year, except when removing graffiti or tags
• working a garbage disposal, sump pump, generator or any other equipment that requires pressure or flow of water from the distribution network to ensure its functioning or movement
• irrigating agricultural soil
• selling water from the distribution network or for reasons other than one’s own personal use

In cases of excessive water use, the fine for a first offence is between $500 and $1,000 for individuals and $1,000
to $2,000 for businesses. Note that fines are doubled in the event of a repeat offence.

Any excessive use/wasting of drinking water must immediately stop the moment it is observed by a City representative. The latter may then interrupt the supply of outdoor watering, pool filling, cleaning or any other unauthorized activity.

Fines

Any person who contravenes By-law No. 1821 is subject to a fine between $250 and $2,000 for individuals and $500 to $4,000 for businesses.

In accordance with the By-law, outdoor use of drinking water can be partially or totally banned in certain conditions.

Washing of vehicles, walls and windows

Washing vehicles is authorized at all times, as long as it is done using an automatic shut-off nozzle or wand. Washing buildings with 5 units or less is permitted without a permit between October 1 and May 31 inclusively. Outside of this time period, washing is permitted, up to a maximum of two times per year, after obtaining a permit. Washing buildings with more than 5 units as well as institutional, commercial and industrial buildings (ICI) is authorized only if it is done using water other than the City’s drinking water

Washing parking spots, driveways, etranceways or patios 

Washing a parking spot, driveway or patio for the purpose of applying a protective coating is authorized once a year, with product proof of purchase, after obtaining a permit for this purpose. This permit is valid for two days.

Construction sites

It is prohibited to wash vehicles, equipment or entranceways/pathways using drinking water.

Swimming pools

Complete filling of new pools is authorized only once. Following this, you must treat the water when opening the pool for the season rather than emptying the pool and re-filling it with drinking water. A permit is required to install or repair a pool.

The complete filling of a concrete in-ground pool is authorized with a permit to use potable water for cleaning, stripping and painting. This permit is valid for 7 days, depending on weather conditions and technical requirements for filling.

A removable swimming pool over 60 centimetres high can be filled once a year. Following this, the water of the pool must be treated rather than removed.

When draining a pool for winterizing, the water level must be no lower than 45 centimetres from the skimmer.

Annual leveling, start-up or backwashing followed by leveling is authorized without a permit according to the following schedule:

• Even addresses: Monday, Thursday and Saturday
• Odd addresses: Tuesday, Friday and Sunday

Backwashing cannot be done for more than five minutes.

Spas

Complete filling or leveling of spas with a maximum capacity of 2,000 litres is permitted at all times, except during vegetation watering times. For spas with a capacity above 2,000 litres, regulations pertaining to pools apply.

Lanscaped ponds

Any set of landscaped ponds, with or without water jets, cascades or fountains, which are initially filled or leveled using drinking water, must be equipped with a functional system ensuring the recirculation of water. The continuous supply of drinking water is prohibited.

Treating parasites or insects

A permit is required in order to use drinking water to treat lawns for parasites or insects.

Car wash events

Car wash events held over two consecutive days are authorized with a permit, except during the period between July 1 and August 31 inclusively.

Skating rinks

Drinking water can be used to build and maintain noncommercial outdoor skating rinks, between November 1 and March 1 inclusively. No permit is required.

Water is a precious resource that must be protected and conserved. The Québec drinking water strategy aims to reduce per-capita drinking water consumption by 20% in 2017.

Wise water use: The 4 R's

• Reduce the quantity of water used.
• Replace unsuitable vegetation, and replace water-wasting devices with water-saving ones.
• Repair leaks; sometimes all it takes is a new washer.
• Re-use rainwater: The City gives rebates on rain barrels!

By applying the 4 R's, a family can conserve tens of thousands of litres of water annually.

A few statistics

• Canadians are among the world's biggest users of water.
• Quebecers use 150,000 litres of water per capita per year—twice as much as Europeans.
• Excessive residential water consumption in Vaudreuil-Dorion may result in additional operating costs of up to $750,000 a year.
• Lawn watering may account for as much as 50% of all residential consumption of municipal drinking water.
• Experts estimate that half of all water usage is wasteful.

Tips and Tricks

Reduce:

• Don't drain more water than necessary from the pool for the winter. Treat the water to avoid having to drain the pool and refill it in the spring. Don't fill it higher than 15 cm from the edge to avoid losing water by splashing.
• Sweep driveways, parking areas and patios instead of hosing them down.
• Wash the car at the car wash when necessary.
• Avoid watering areas that don't need it.
• Avoid watering in broad daylight, when it's hot and windy. Water by hand.
• Avoid watering lawns and other well-established, tolerant plants, especially during periods of drought.
• Keep the grass long (10 cm): it will withstand drought better and keep more moisture in the ground. Leave grass clippings on the ground and shred fallen leaves on the grass to improve water retention.
• Turning off the tap to shave or brush your teeth saves more than eight litres of water each time.
• Fill the sink with water to wash fruit and vegetables rather than let the tap run unnecessarily.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap until it becomes cold.

Repair:

• Inspect garden hoses and pool connections, and repair any leaks.

Replace, add or modify:

• Use a pool blanket to reduce evaporation.
• For outdoor sprinklers, opt for automatic shut-off models with rain gauges or humidity sensors, or use a timer.
• Use large-drip nozzles to limit evaporation, a drip irrigation system or perforated hoses.
• Seed a variety of drought-resistant plants (such as clover) in with your grass, and spread a thin layer of compost annually.
• Add compost to the soil mix for grass and other plants, and place an 8- to 10-cm layer of mulch in landscaped areas to increase water retention.
• When buying plants, choose perennials, which need less water than annuals. Remember, the right plant in the right place: for each species, select a location where it will thrive, and try to choose native species.
• Install a low-flow tap aerator to cut water use in half.
• When replacing your dishwasher, remember to choose one that saves water. The new models can reduce water consumption by 25%. Wait until the dishwasher is full before turning it on.
• Replace old toilets with new ultra low-flush models.

Re-use:

• Use rain barrels to collect water from eavestroughs.

Residences served by the municipal water supply system and having a system that allows the withdrawal of water from groundwater, surface water from a river, lake or other source, rainwater harvesting system, stormwater, greywater or treated wastewater shall be registered with the City for authorization to supply water outside of permitted hours. After confirming that the water in a parallel water supply system is not from the City's aqueduct or raw water supply to a City filtration plant, a sign will be provided to the property owner to demonstrate that the property uses a raw (non-potable) water source for watering. The address will then be added to the City's registry. To obtain a raw water sign, please contact the Environment Section between May 15 and August 15. The sign is valid for four years and must be installed on the property in such a way that it is visible from a traffic lane when using the parallel system.