Jun 29, 2026

Town moving to Stage 3 water restrictions on July 3, 2026

Ladysmith, BC — The Town of Ladysmith will be moving to Stage 3 water restrictions on Friday, July 3, 2026.

The restrictions apply to the Town of Ladysmith, Stz’uminus First Nation, and the Diamond Improvement District.

Under Stage 3, lawn watering by any method is not allowed. This includes conventional irrigation systems, sprinklers, or hand watering.

Residents are also not allowed to fill swimming pools or hot tubs (top ups permitted), wash cars, boats, houses, driveways, or sidewalks. Commercial operators are exempt from these restrictions.

Gardens, trees, and shrubs may be watered by hand, micro-irrigation, or drip irrigation for no more than 2 hours each day, but only before 9:00 am or after 7:00 pm.

The move to Stage 3 is due to a decline in water levels at Holland Lake and is in alignment with the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), which is also moving to Stage 3 on July 3. Although wet rainy weather is in the forecast, it will not have any impact on the current drought situation.

“Holland Lake has been declining steadily at approximately 3% per week and was at 84.3% on June 25. We are currently in BC Drought Level 4 earlier than normal this year, and the forecasted rainfall is not expected to make any significant difference,” says Tim Tanton, the Town's Director of Infrastructure Services. "We understand the impact this decision has on residents, but our priority is conserving the Town's water supply.”

Residents are required to follow the Town’s water restrictions, which are designed to manage water use during hot, dry weather. Those who ignore the water restrictions are in violation of Water Bylaw #1298 and could face fines of up to $2,000 per day.

For a complete list of what is and isn’t permitted under Stage 3, please visit https://www.ladysmith.ca/our-services/water/restrictions. To see Holland Lake level data, visit https://www.ladysmith.ca/our-services/water/reports.

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Media Contact
Nicholas Pescod
Communications & Engagement Specialist
npescod@ladysmith.ca
250-268-0606

The Town of Ladysmith respectfully acknowledges that we gather and work on the unceded territory of the Stz'uminus First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land.