BC hasn’t seen rain in weeks, which has led to lower groundwater levels & warmer temperatures for rivers, meaning that most of central and southern BC is facing heavy droughts.
BC ranks drought levels on a scale of 0-5, with 5 being the worst/most severe.
Sunshine Coast Regional District has issued a ban on all outdoor use of drinking water to preserve the Chapman and Eastbourne water basins.
“The water supply to the customers on the Chapman water system is not guaranteed if the current dry weather continues into the fall,” said Remko Rosenboom, general manager of infrastructure services at the regional district (via CBC News).
The South Coast experienced a little bit of rain but not nearly enough to counteract the effects of heat waves and prolonged periods of drought. Further, with another heat wave right around the horizon, conditions are expected to worsen. The June heat wave caused water use to hit record levels, and the same is expected for August’s heat wave, however water levels are much lower and could have a hard time supporting the needs of people.
Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland have been hit the hardest with their water basins reaching drought level 4 last week, the 2nd worst possible rating. The Kettle basin in the Kootenay region is the only watershed at Level 5, while the Okanagan valley and Cariboo region is at Level 3.
Only a few parts of northern BC have experienced consistent rainfall in the past weeks which has greatly reduced the chances of a devastating drought season, thankfully.
Officials are asking BC residents to be very mindful of their water usage, and to take shorter showers, ensure taps are securely turned off when not in use, and avoid watering plants or grass as much as possible.