Water restrictions are an annual rite of summer’s passage in Tofino and their arrival this month is a sign that the season is on its way.
Stage 1 restrictions are officially in effect and that means residents with odd numbered civic addresses may only water their lawns and gardens on Mondays and Thursdays from 6-9 a.m. and 7-10 p.m. while residents with even numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays and Fridays during those same times.
Tofino’s Chief Administrative Officer Bob MacPherson said enforcement will primarily be done on a complaint-driven basis, though local bylaw officers will have an eye out for infractions during their regular patrols.
“Our first approach, especially with Stage 1, is going to be education; letting people know that there are rules around when water can be used outdoors,” said Tofino CAO Bob MacPherson. “Really, at the end of it, we’re asking the community to help us help them save money. They save money directly by having to buy less water, as well, if we use less water as a community, we can put off infrastructure improvements in the future, which will save people money on their tax bills in the longterm.”
This is the first year Tofino has automatically implemented the restrictions. In past years, Stage 1 has only been activated if two weeks without rainfall occurred between May and October. Tofino’s municipal council updated its Water Conservation Bylaw last year to make the restrictions automatic each May.
“People who’ve been here for 10 years or more certainly understand that the supply and demand of water is something we all have to be considering and mindful of,” MacPherson said. “I think people can see in the past beyond the last three weeks or three months and remember that, as we get into the summer, the fact that we had a wet spring is helpful, but it’s not the entire story.”
He assured Tofino’s current infrastructure has enough water capacity to cater to locals as well as summer’s peaks, but added automatic restrictions are becoming common practice as local governments look to encourage their constituents to conserve before the dry season hits.
“The real concern is if we have a very prolonged dry period and heavy usage during that same period,” he said. “So, as we’re heading into the heavier usage time and the dryer time, it’s appropriate to remind people using a little bit less water is a good thing right now.”
The district faced catastrophe when it ran out of water in 2006, but, while effective marketing from Tourism Tofino and free admission to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve has expectations running high for a busy season ahead, MacPherson assured 2006’s crisis will not be repeated.
“There were a lot of factors that made 2006 happen,” he said. “One of them was the community was caught unaware of how much the water supply had been drawn down over the course of a summer. It’s something that now we watch everyday.”
Whether Tofino moves into Stage 2 restrictions this summer will be up to either MacPherson or the district’s Manager of Engineering and Public Works Ricardo Araya’s discretion.
“We’ll look at consumption and we’ll look at how much it’s rained and what’s happening with the resevoirs,” MacPherson said. “There’s nothing right now that tells me that Stage 2 is imminent or near.”
Stage 2 prohibits hot tubs from being filled and restricts all outdoor water use to food plants.