This story is part of a series exploring the wide-ranging impacts of persistent drought conditions and climate change seen across the province in recent years.
Tofino gets plenty of rain, the water coming down in buckets for most months of the year, filling the creeks and reservoirs on Meares Island that supply the residents, hotels and businesses with water.
But in the summer, it’s been a different story — and that has the district’s council considering its options for getting more water and limiting its growth. “It all comes down to water,” said Tofino Mayor Dan Law.
Last year, Tofino was brought to the brink of a water crisis after an unprecedented drought. The dry spell from May to September brought just 100 millimetres of rainfall — less than a quarter of the usual — and the community was ready to declare a state of emergency that could have shut down tourism operators and started a caravan of water trucks.
The shortage of water brought extreme water restrictions, fears of the town losing its economic lifeblood and put fire protection measures at risk.
Drought caused a similar crisis in 2006. Fortunately, rainfall came in both cases. Last year, town crews installed a bypass valve on its water pipeline system to divert higher-performing creek flows into reservoirs. With conservation measures and a light rain, tourism shutdowns were averted.
Water awareness is the new reality in Tofino, Law said. “We’re in the same situation as a lot of communities across the province. We’re all facing very significant challenges with water supplies. Water is something everybody took for granted, but now … that’s just the way it is with climate change. We have to be sure of our supplies in the years to come.”
The scarcity of water prompted Tofino council to develop a water master plan for the next two decades to address population growth and the renewal of water infrastructure. It includes finding new sources of water to augment Meares Island.
According to the plan, prepared by McElhanney Engineering, the community is already in a raw water supply deficit of 713 cubic metres per day, based on third-quarter data from 2014 to 2023. (A cubic metre is 1,000 litres.) That deficit is expected to double by 2033 and reach a deficit of 2.031 cubic metres a day by 2043.
A water deficit occurs when the town’s maximum day demand for water exceeds the flow rates from source creeks on Meares Island. Law said the community is seeking an alternative water source and additional treatment capacity by 2043.
Alternate sources range from dredging silt from existing reservoirs to increasing capacity with new lake sources and possibly drilling wells into aquifers.
Eight options were identified in the water plan, from doing nothing to expanding reservoirs or developing new surface sources at Kennedy or Boulson lakes. The plan considers a small-scale desalination plant or reusing water from wastewater treatment.
Council is working with staff on a “limits to growth” policy to mitigate additional risk to the water system.
“We have housing needs in Tofino, there’s a shortage, so we have to find a balance in what we can build without presenting risks to the municipality as a whole,” Law said.
Tofino council is going ahead with some key infrastructure upgrades to one of its main waterlines and the remote telemetry equipment that monitors creek flows and dam levels on Meares Island. The equipment will give town officials real-time data on impending shortages, allowing them to move quickly if restrictions are needed.
In conjunction with the water master plan, a conservation plan has been launched. New water conservation stages are being rolled out, with three instead of four.
Stage 1 came into effect on May 13 and is designed to educate residents and business owners on ways to conserve water.
Water conservation enforcement by Tofino bylaw officers has been beefed up with increased fines for non-compliance in the various stages. What used to be a $100 fine for use of water contrary to Stage 1 is now $500. The penalty for using water illegally in Stage 2 is bumped from $200 to $1,000, and a Stage 3 infraction will net a $2,000 fine, up from $500.
Businesses such as resorts and short-term rentals will see $500 fines for failing to display water conservation information in kitchens and units and on websites and digital booking platforms.
Aaron Rogers, director of infrastructure and public works, said the Water Master Plan and conservation measures have been a collaborative process, with a number of community round tables held over the past year.
“The water conservation stages and approach are aligned with our system design based on a flow-through system,” Rogers said at a meeting with businesses and residents this spring. “It’s intended to be very responsive to conditions.”
A staff report said “triggering criteria” for the three stages will include daily water use thresholds, visitor numbers and detailed weather forecasts.
“We watch the weather on a daily basis,” Rogers said. “We look at our water numbers every day … and hourly as we get into the drier parts of the year, so we’re trying to be as ahead of the game as we can.”
As Tofino heads into its busiest weeks of the year, Stage 1 requires hotels, resorts and short-term rentals as well as retailers to display water conservation notices and information.
Stage 1 has few restrictions, Rogers said. “We just want everyone to start thinking about water.”
Stage 2 restricts outdoor watering to food plants on specific days. Washing of wet suits by hand, foot washes and rinsing of boat motors is permitted but outdoor showers have to be fitted with timed shutoffs.
During Stage 3, outdoor watering is limited and indoor use of water is restricted to drinking and sanitation.
According to the new bylaw, if the community response to Stage 3 is insufficient, the next step would be activating the community’s Emergency Operations Centre, initiating an emergency water plan and considering a local state of emergency.
Tofino-Long Beach Chamber executive director Samantha Hackett said the chamber is providing an industry-specific toolkit that businesses can use to get the message of water conservation across to visitors. There are also downloadable print and social media materials for use during water restriction stages, she said.
