Metro Vancouver Implements Stage 3 Water Restrictions Amid Supply Tunnel Construction

📅 4 days ago

Metro Vancouver is set to enforce Stage 3 water restrictions starting June 8 due to high water usage and ongoing construction of a water supply tunnel.

BURNABY, B.C. — Metro Vancouver is preparing to implement Stage 3 water restrictions starting next week, following an early adoption of Stage 2 bans that did not succeed in reducing excessive water consumption in the area. The regional district announced that the stricter measures will take effect on Monday, June 8, and will include a complete ban on lawn watering, which encompasses the use of both sprinklers and soaker hoses. Additionally, filling pools and washing vehicles will also be prohibited, with only a few exceptions allowed.
Metro Vancouver chair Mike Hurley stated that these restrictions are necessary due to a combination of factors including unseasonably warm and dry weather conditions, low levels of snowpack, and the ongoing construction of a water supply tunnel in Stanley Park. The region had initially instituted Stage 2 water restrictions earlier this year on May 1. However, the district reported that water consumption in Metro Vancouver last month was higher than during the same period in 2025, when only Stage 1 restrictions were in place.
Currently, the district is recording approximately 1.2 billion litres of water being utilized daily. With the arrival of warmer weather in June, a significant increase in water usage—up to 50 percent—is anticipated. Historically, Metro Vancouver sees daily water consumption surpassing 1.4 billion litres during June, and the regional authorities are hopeful that the new, tougher restrictions will help maintain usage below that threshold in order to safeguard the water supply through July.
The situation is further aggravated by the region's low snowpack levels, which Metro Vancouver officials have characterized as “well below normal,” with current measurements falling to less than 15 percent of historical averages. These combined factors have prompted the district to take decisive action to manage the water supply effectively during this critical period.

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