As “Barbie Girl” played over the speakers at Al Anderson Memorial Pool in Langley City on Saturday, Aug. 12, a group of seven firefighters took on dozens of kids, and some adults, in a scaled-down version of the annual Legendary Waterfight.
“I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world/Life in plastic, it’s fantastic” echoed the song by Aqua, with some of the lifeguards dressed up as characters from the hit movie.
Instead of fire hoses hooked into the municipal water system, the firefighters used super-soaker water guns, refilling them in the pool.
It was because of the Stage 2 limits on water use imposed by Metro Vancouver, explained pool supervisor Kasey McDougall.
”Unfortunately, due to the water restrictions, the firefighters can’t spray the kids with the hoses and sent up their ladder truck and spray from above,” McDougall told the Langley Advance Times, “but they are still out in numbers here and going to town on the kids.”
Weather conditions were ideal – hot and sunny.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Finally. Legendary Water Fight returns to Langley City’s Al Anderson pool
Siblings Bryce and Beau came all the way in from Surrey, with mom Jackie.
“Well, I saw the event was happening last year, but we missed it by one day,” Jackie recalled. “So I made sure to keep an eye out for it this year.”
@LangleyTimes The legendary water fight at Al Anderson Pool in Langley City had to be scaled back because of water restrictions. Firefighters fought with Super Soakers instead of fire hoses. pic.twitter.com/OMw48Nfsg8
— Dan Ferguson (@John_D_Ferguson) August 12, 2023
Well-soaked firefighter Aaron Salter said he and the team still “had a blast [even] with the water restrictions in place” and suggested holding the event closer to it’s usual July date might help.
“We were just making sure we were abiding by the rules, and we’re unable to flow water using the hose and bringing the tower [truck] down,” Salter said.
“Maybe next year, we’ll be able to be in a little bit earlier and beat the water restrictions.”
@LangleyTimes More from the Barbie themed legendary water fight at Al Anderson Pool in Langley City pic.twitter.com/iS1RYXxbXb
— Dan Ferguson (@John_D_Ferguson) August 12, 2023
The last time Metro Vancouver moved beyond Stage 1 water restrictions was in 2015 when conditions were relatively dry and there was low snowpack.
In announcing Stage 2, effective Friday, Aug. 4, Metro Vancouver board chair George Harvie said water consumption in the region since May is up 20 per cent compared to last last year.
“With more hot weather on the horizon, we are taking this proactive step to ensure that our region’s 2.8 million residents will have enough drinking water for essential uses for the rest of the dry season.”
Metro Vancouver typically delivers one billion litres of treated drinking water each day, but that number can increase by more than 50 per cent in the summer, largely due to lawn watering and other outdoor uses.
Stage 2 restrictions include a ban on all lawn watering. Trees, shrubs, and flowers can be watered by hand or using soaker hoses or drip irrigation at any time, or by using a sprinkler between 5 and 9 a.m. any day.
READ ALSO: Ban on lawn watering to take effect in Metro Vancouver amid drought
As well, vegetable gardens can be watered at any time, and “aesthetic water features” like fountains, cannot be filled or topped up.
Washing driveways and sidewalks is prohibited except in limited circumstances, and watering at golf courses and sports fields must be reduced, and water parks that do not have user-activated buttons and switches may be temporarily closed.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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