Township, region lift fire and water bans

Lisha Van Nieuwenhove

The Township of Uxbridge announced last Wednesday that is has lifted the temporary open air fire ban, effective 2 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 20.

According to the township’s website, the Uxbridge Fire Department is still advising all residents to remain vigilant and practice caution when conducting outdoor burning. Recent dry weather and accumulated dead grass have significantly elevated the risk of grass fires in the area.

Also, residents are reminded that a permit is mandatory for all outdoor burning activities.

For detailed information and to apply for a permit online, please visit uxbridge.ca

The Region of Durham has also announced that mandatory water restrictions for north Durham residents and businesses have been lifted, effective immediately.

A news release from the Region says, in part, “Now that the period of extreme heat and lack of rain has subsided, the water restrictions that were in place have been lifted.

Residents are asked to continue watering while following “odd-even lawn day watering"; this is a mandatory requirement from May to September each year under the Regional Water Supply By-law #85-2003.

The release also says: “Thank you to all residents and businesses for your co-operation during the mandatory water restrictions. With your help, we were able to conserve water across the systems where restrictions were implemented, with some systems averaging 10 to 15 per cent lower daily use according to our data. Your efforts demonstrated care for the community and were greatly appreciated.”

For water conservation tips, visit durham.ca/WaterEfficiency, or contact Water Resources Monitoring and Protection Division at 311 (within Regional limits) or toll-free at 1-800-372-1102.