CANADA, July 14 - The Province is urging people in British Columbia to conserve water over the coming weeks as forecasts suggest much of the province will experience elevated drought conditions.
“Saving water and responding to drought is a shared responsibility, and we know that early action can make a big difference, especially when we work together,” said Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “The Province is doing our part to ensure communities and farmers are prepared, and we are working with large water users to reduce their water use. This is especially critical in high-risk watersheds that support fish populations or are at risk of long-term harm.”
Voluntary reduction and water-conservation measures and changes in weather, including significant rainfall, can play a critical role in maintaining stream flows. In some B.C. communities, residential water use makes up as much as 70% of total use during the summer months, which is why even small changes at home can make a big difference. That might look like:
- watering your lawn less often or switching to drought-tolerant plants;
- using a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways or patios;
- turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or washing dishes; or
- fixing leaky faucets, which can waste hundreds of litres over time.
The Province continues to monitor stream and weather conditions and their potential impacts to aquatic ecosystems and fish populations. In the meantime, people in British Columbia are asked to help ensure the sustainability of watersheds by reducing their water use whenever possible.
While the recent rains provided relief for some regions in B.C., particularly the Fort Nelson area, it has not been enough to overcome limited rain from previous months. Much of the southern Interior is expected to remain dry with little to no rainfall, with drought conditions worsening and stream flows continuing to decline in the Nicola, Kettle, Okanagan and Slocan-Lower Columbia basins.
The Province has taken a whole-of-government approach to investing in practical solutions and is working closely with First Nations, local governments, industry and the agricultural sector to manage water wisely and protect long-term water security. In spring 2025, government also updated B.C.’s Drought and Water Scarcity Response Plan to clarify the approach to monitoring drought and water-scarcity impacts ahead of the dry season, with an emphasis on early action and support for local decision-making.
Additional efforts include a $100-million Watershed Security Fund to support local water projects that build drought resilience and more than $100 million through the Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program to help farmers and communities build better water storage and delivery systems, as well as more funding for emergency response and community planning to better manage water shortages when they happen.
Temporary protection orders may be issued as a last resort if voluntary efforts are not enough to restore water flows and protect vulnerable animals, fish and watersheds from long-lasting harms that could take generations to recover. Decisions about whether to issue water-use restrictions are based on supporting science, and a careful analysis of local economic factors.
Learn More:
To learn more about drought preparation and response, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/drought
A backgrounder follws.
