With over half of the province currently experiencing worsening drought conditions, the provincial government is encouraging residents to voluntarily reduce their water consumption this summer. (Dreamstime)

By Jordan Davidson

drought concerns

Lantzville fire ban issued as Province encourages summer water conservation

Jul 14, 2025 | 2:44 PM

NANAIMO — A total fire ban is in place for one central Island municipality, as provincial officials urge caution over water use.

Current dry and hot conditions are expected to continue through much of the week, prompting the District of Lantzville to implement a total fire ban as of Monday, July 14.

The move, which bans all outdoor burning and campfires on public or private property, comes after a brush fire ignited Sunday morning in a field off Superior Rd.

Meantime, provincial officials are focusing more on water supply as B.C. moves further into the summer months, already in drought-like conditions.

Speaking at a Monday, July 14, press conference, minister of water, land, and resource stewardship Randene Neill said virtually every municipality in B.C. is facing various water issues.

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“In the coming days, we’re going to request voluntary water conservation measures from license-holders in watersheds of concern, as stream flows decline and the risks to fish populations increase…early action can delay or even avoid the need for stricter regulatory measures.”

Conditions on Vancouver Island remain somewhat favourable, with the area at drought level two on a six-step scale.

Neill said some of the biggest areas on Vancouver Island for drought concern and water scarcity include streams which flow into the Cowichan River, which are being reduced to preserve water levels in Cowichan Lake.

Another area of concern is along the Koksilah River south of Duncan.

“They understand the severe drought issues in that area and in that (Koksilah) Watershed, were all of the users, First Nations, industry, agriculture, local governments, have come together to come up with kind of a community watershed table, for example, to really set what the values are to ensure that area doesn’t run out of water.”

As of Monday afternoon, 62 per cent of the province was under level two or three drought conditions, save for the wetter areas in the north-northwest, with Vancouver Island at drought level two. (BC Drought Portal, Government of B.C.)

Drought conditions have worsened recently in parts of the southern Interior, most notably in the Nicola, Kettle, Okanagan, and Slocan/Lower Columbia basins due to declining streamflows.

Ranchers and other high-water users in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District have worked together to voluntarily reduce their water consumption over the last decade and have managed to avoid worsening the drought conditions, according to Neill.

She said encouraging residents to take action now can make a huge difference, with 70 per cent of some municipalities’ water consumption coming from residential usage, but declined to say which areas specifically.

Neill said actions like not watering your lawn or washing the outside of your vehicle can go a long way in maintaining water levels ahead of August and September, when drought conditions are typically the most severe in B.C.

“Isn’t it better for everyone to take the measures now just a little bit, and get used to taking those measures in a way that prevents us from ever drawing low on the reservoir, for example, or drying up a stream? We really want people to understand that little differences make a huge difference to our water supply.”

The Coastal Fire Centre has banned category two and three fires at the end of May, but further restrictions are anticipated with warmer-than-average conditions expected this week in Nanaimo and the Oceanside areas.

According to Statistics Canada, the average B.C. resident used 286 litres of water per day, 63 litres more than the Canadian average in 2021.

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