Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Sign In
Careers Contact Live Chat

Reservoir Levels and Water Use

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​Metro Vancouver posts weekly storage levels for the Seymour, Capilano, and Coquitlam reservoirs from May to October. Metro Vancouver’s water storage is also critical for supporting fish habitats. Flows of water, called environmental flows, are released into the streams and rivers to maintain a healthy aquatic habitat for fish.

In the summer and early fall, our water use can increase by 50 per cent, largely due to lawn watering and increased outdoor use. This increased regional water demand, combined with changes to snowpack and warmer annual temperatures due to climate change, puts a strain on the existing water supply.

loading...
​​

  • Normal Range Nor​mal r​​ange
  • Reserved Water for Emergencies and Environmental/Fish Reserved water for environmental / fish flows and essential uses: drinking, cooking, and cleaning during extreme drought situations.​
​​​
​​​

​​​Regional water demand

The average daily water use in the Metro Vancouver region is 1 billion litres — enough to fill BC Place. In the winter and spring, rain and snowmelt fill the reservoirs. During the summer when rainfall is lower, our reservoir water levels drop and with it, our drinking water supply. During the hot, dry summer, our water use increases to more than 1.5 billion litres per day — mainly due to outdoor use.​

loading...

​​

March 11, 2024

Billions Litres Used

​​

​Water use is highest in the summer

During the hottest time of year, when rainfall is at its lowest, we use a lot of water outdoors. And most of it is on our lawns. Reduce your outdoor water use with these conservation tips and keep our drinking water for where it’s needed most — drinking, cooking, and cleaning.


Seasonal Water Usage 


loading...

Note: Precipitation and water use values reflect averaged 2003 to 2019 data. Precipitation values are collected from the Capilano Reservoir, and are significantly higher than urban sites in the region.​​

Celebrating 100 years of delivering high-quality drinking water​​

 Related links

 

 

Regional Water Restrictionshttps://metrovancouver.org/services/water/lawn-watering-regulations, Regional Water RestrictionsRegional Water Restrictions
Watersheds & Reservoirshttps://metrovancouver.org/services/water/watersheds-reservoirs, Watersheds & ReservoirsWatersheds & Reservoirs
Waterwise Tipshttps://metrovancouver.org/welovewater, We Love WaterWaterwise Tips





By continuing to use our website, you acknowledge the use of cookies. Privacy Statement | Accept all cookies | Change settings