Water Main Leak Prompts Urgent Conservation Alert in Port Renfrew
Noah Chen
6/26/20261 min read
Residents of Port Renfrew on southwest Vancouver Island have been asked to urgently conserve water while crews work to repair a water main leak.
The Capital Regional District issued the conservation alert Thursday evening after crews shut off a damaged section of the local water system.
In the meantime, the district said the community is being served by reservoir water only.
“Reservoir levels are dropping and could become critically low as early as Friday morning,” the regional district said.
Residents Asked to Limit Water Use
Port Renfrew residents are being asked to use water only for essential purposes, including drinking, cooking and sanitation.
The regional district has asked people not to water lawns or wash vehicles. Residents are also being urged to limit showers and avoid laundry and dishwashing where possible.
Port Renfrew is an unincorporated community of just over 230 residents, according to the 2021 census. It is located about 80 kilometres west of downtown Victoria.
Leak Found Along West Coast Road
Al Wickheim, the regional director for the Juan de Fuca electoral area, said the leak was discovered by the person responsible for the local water system.
He said the worker was driving along West Coast Road toward Port Renfrew on Thursday morning when he noticed water along the side of the road. The water was later determined to be coming from a leaking pipe.
Wickheim said crews were expected to work overnight to repair the leak, with hopes of completing the work by Friday morning.
Boil Water Advisory Possible if Tanks Run Dry
Officials are hoping to avoid a more serious situation.
Wickheim said if the leak continues and reservoir tanks run dry, authorities may have to issue a boil water advisory.
The alert comes as southwest Vancouver Island is already facing dry conditions. According to the B.C. Drought Information Portal, Port Renfrew and the surrounding region were at drought level 4 out of 5 as of Thursday.
For now, officials say conserving water is critical while repairs continue.
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