Watering of lawns or other outdoor surfaces will be prohibited beginning Friday, as stage four water restrictions come into effect. (Dreamstime)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Stage 4 water restrictions coming to most mid-Island communities

Jul 30, 2025 | 9:20 AM

NANAIMO — A near-complete lack of rain for the month of July is prompting local officials to take extra measures to conserve the water supply.

A vast majority of the Regional District of Nanaimo will move into stage four water restrictions, beginning Friday, Aug. 1.

The move prohibits the use of sprinklers of any kind, washing of driveways, sidewalks or exterior building surfaces, as well as the filling of swimming pools, hot tubs or garden water features.

“We’ve really noticed low flows in rivers and streams,” said Erica Forssman, program coordinator for the drinking water and watershed protection program. “We’re seeing below-average levels, and as a result, we’re implementing higher levels of watering restrictions as a proactive measure to ensure that we can maintain those flows throughout the rest of the dry season.”

She said the hot and dry conditions will likely impact water levels throughout the rest of the summer, unless we get a major rain event.

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Municipalities of Parksville and Lantzville are included in the restrictions, as are residents in French Creek, Whiskey Creek and Nanoose Bay.

The City of Nanaimo is remaining under stage two restrictions, which limits watering to certain hours on certain days.

The Town of Qualicum Beach maintains stage one restrictions almost year-round.

Forssman said water is a shared resource and is crucial to a number of systems beyond drinking water.

“It’s also for habitat, for freshwater ecosystems, for fish that are living in those streams. It’s also essential for fire-fighting purposes, so being proactive in terms of increasing these water conservation levels means that we can hopefully get through the rest of the summer season without dire consequences for the ecosystems that we live among and around.”

She said even after the stage four restrictions come into effect, they’ll continue to provide communication across the region on ways to conserve water into August and even September if we receive no significant rainfall.

Vegetable gardens and fruit trees are exempt from all watering restrictions, even in stage four. Drop irrigation is permitted between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Hand watering of gardens is allowed but must only be done using a hand-held container or a hose equipped with a shutoff device.

In line with the restrictions, the City of Parksville also issued a total water ban.

The municipality said in a release they’re under a provincial order to maintain certain water levels in the Englishman River, with water from the Arrowsmith dam used to regulate this flow.

“The amount of water released from the Arrowsmith dam, along with an analysis of how long we can continue to release water, guides the implementation of conservation levels. This ensures a high-quality water supply for our residents and the necessary water for fire safety as well as in-stream fish.”

An interactive map of water restrictions across the Regional District is available here.

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