Summer Drought Possible This Year

Water treatment specialist suggests taking action now

Lions Bay resident and water treatment specialist Anthony Greville has been taking a look at the snowpack in the nearby mountains, and has a few words of caution for Lions Bay residents this summer.

Based on the current snowpack and water consumption statistics, "we absolutely know that come mid-to late-July our creeks will begin to run dry," says Greville.

Greville is a past Chair of the Drinking Water Technical Committee of the British Columbia Water and Waste Association and currently lectures in the Water and Wastewater Technology Programme at Thompson Rivers University. He's also a long-standing member of the Village's Infrastructure Committee.

He cautions that anyone with a known water leak in their system needs to address it as soon as possible. Noting the current consumption levels in Lions Bay of 1,000 litres per person per day (approximately 400,000 US gallons per day) "is three times the GVRD average", Greville says that if it continues at this rate into summer, it will lead to water shortages in the Village.

Data capture from May 8, 2025. Source: Province of British Columbia.

Greville's data comes from the province's Palisade Lake snow monitoring station, located due east of Lions Bay, at an elevation of about 900 metres. The graph shows snow packs from both 2024 and 2025 are at or below historic minimums.

"(This is) the amount of snow just two ridges over from us," says Greville. "The blue line is this year, the green line is last year and the grey shaded level is the all-time high and low."

He adds that last summer, "if it was not for some very timely rain, we would have been 'snookered'."

He notes that while water supply is subject to the whim of nature, everyone has a role to play in managing our water demand. "We cannot simply pray for rain twice a month."

"As a community, we really have to get behind the directions of Village Staff, especially when it comes to fixing water line leaks and generally beginning to think about good water management practices," says Greville.

He adds that while there is plenty of water in the creeks today, that will be changing before too long, and says his concern is for the 10– 12 week period from mid-July to late September this year.

"We cannot control supply. We are at the mercy of the gods for that," says Greville. "So we will have to manage demand, and that is an individual responsibility."

Greville and other members of the Infrastructure Committee support water storage for watering the garden. He notes that any tanks of less than 1,000 litres should be filled up before restrictions come in to play, with Public Works "usually offering a two-week notice period to allow for this."

But he says that storing water for potable use is absolutely not recommended, as it is nearly impossible to keep such supplies properly disinfected.

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