Vancouver water restrictions could continue well into the fall

A new forecast thatpredicts more hot, dryconditions in British Columbia has Metro Vancouver water officials looking at extending water restrictions past the usual end date.

"Certainly thewarmth and the dry conditions, which many of us do not want to hear about here, [will continue] as we go into the fall and also the winter," said Brett Anderson withAccuWeather.

AccuWeatherpredicts the province will have temperatures one to twodegrees higher than normal on the coast, and three to four degrees higher than normal in the Interior.

Anderson said the conditions are being caused bywarmwateroff our coast known as "The Blob"combined with one of the strongest El Ninoson record.

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Watering restrictions in Metro Vancouver typically run until the end of September, but Darrell Mussatto, chair ofMetro Vancouver's utilities commission and mayor of the City of NorthVancouver,saidthey may be extended.

"This might be an unusual year," said Mussatto. "We could go right through the end of October."

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Mussatto said as long asconsumption levels remain consistentit's unlikely the region will enter Stage 4 water restrictions.

Reservoir levels for Metro Vancouver are were at58 per cent as of Aug. 16.