Vancouver Island community under urgent water alert after main break disrupts system

The Vancouver Island community of Port Renfrew is facing critically low water levels in its reservoir due to a problem with its water main.

The Capital Regional District has issued a water conservation alert for the community about 100 kilometres west of Victoria as it relies on reservoir water only, which is already very low.

A leak was discovered Thursday in the water main and it needed to be shut down while crews do repairs.

The district says reservoir levels are dropping, with the possibility of reaching a critical low by Friday if conservation measures aren’t taken.

It is asking Port Renfrew residents to urgently conserve water, using it only for essential needs such as consumption or sanitation, while limiting showers and avoiding all outdoor use.

No timeline has been given for when the repairs will be completed.