Water restrictions remain in Dawson Creek as reservoir refilling continues

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – Dawson Creek Mayor Darcy Dober says the city is in the process of refilling its reserves after several weeks of being unable to pump in water from the Kiskatinaw River.

According to Dober, the intake point at the river froze in January, meaning the city had to rely on its reserves and put water restrictions in place.

The restrictions implemented in February limit residents’ ability to water their lawns, use hoses providing water to wash their vehicles and haul bulk water for non-potable use. 

They were established because of drought conditions coupled with the extreme cold.

“I think it was about five to six weeks that we were unable to pump, so we were just running on city reservoirs, which we have a fairly significant reservoir system, so there was no immediate risk. Besides that, we couldn’t pump, so we had to put some water restrictions on,” Dober says.

Dober says pumping has resumed, but the restrictions will need to stay in effect for several more weeks as the reservoirs refill.

“We’re predicting, if we can continue to pump the full amount that we can daily, that it’ll take about 60 to 90 days to get our reservoir full again.”

Dober says the city is monitoring water levels daily and that runoff and spring rainfall could affect when the restrictions are lifted.

He also says updates on the situation will be posted regularly to the Dawson Creek website and social media pages.

According to the BC Drought Information Portal, last updated in November 2023,  northeast B.C. is at a level five drought, the highest and most severe possible rating.