As the province grapples with drought and widespread water restrictions, two cities have launched competitions to honour the most unappealing, dried-up lawns.
Port Coquitlam rolled out its “Golden Streets” contest, while Chilliwack is soliciting entries for its “Ugliest Lawn Contest.” Photo submissions will respectively be accepted until Sept. 15 and Oct. 13.
In Port Coquitlam, residents can win one of three $100-gift cards to a local business or a $ 150-gift card for a block party.
In Chilliwack, the top three winners will receive Visa gift cards between $50 and $150.
“The City of Chilliwack gets the majority of its drinking water from the Sardis-Vedder Aquifer. Did you know that all the water that enters your home is drinking water?” reads a post on the city’s website.
“Whether it’s used for drinking, cooking, bathing, flushing the toilet, washing your car or watering your garden, we rely heavily on this water and need to conserve it.”
Chilliwack’s Stage 3 water restrictions took effect on July 19, limiting residential and non-residential lawn watering to once a week, with certain exceptions.
Washing driveways, sidewalks and buildings are prohibited, unless it’s for health and safety reason or to prepare the surface for painting or other treatments. Water features that use treated drinking water must also shut down.
Port Coquitlam’s Stage 2 water restrictions took effect on Aug. 4 with the rest of Metro Vancouver. Residents are banned from watering lawns, topping up or filling aesthetic water features, or power-washing driveways and sidewalks, unless under the same conditions outlined above.
“With hot and dry weather in the long-range forecast, the city is reminding residents to save water for where it’s needed most, such as cooking, cleaning and drinking,” Port Coquitlam said on its website.
In order to be eligible in either city, submissions must come from a local address.
Port Coquitlam specifies that lawns must be “maintained” but not watered, and allows for neighbourhood or individual entries. Information on how to enter is available here.
Chilliwack states that lawns, vegetable gardens, rock gardens, or rain barrels may all form eligible entries. Submissions may be sent by email to waterconservation@chilliwack.com.