Farm water supply and conservation

Everyone needs water, including  farmers and food producers, who depend on a reliable and consistent water supply to produce food.

British Columbia's water supply can be affected by seasonal weather, climate change, existing water allocation restrictions, population growth and urbanization, and competing demands for water from the public and across all sectors.

Farm water supply

Under the Water Sustainability Act, licenses are required for surface water and non-domestic groundwater uses. Policies surrounding storage facilities/dugouts and environmental stream flow needs are currently being developed by the B.C. government as part of the Water Sustainability Act. Below is some information to guide you through these topics: 

• British Columbia farm water dugouts (PDF, 3.1MB)
• Measuring water flow along streams, from pipes, from nozzles PDF)
• Guidance on farm water storage (PDF, 1.3MB)
• Dugout Planning Checklist (fillable PDF, 308KB)

Water conservation

Water use efficiency is the first step in management of our water supply. Water savings result in an increased water supply for further irrigation. Below are some factsheets on some of the water conservation strategies to assist producers in achieving this goal.

• Irrigation tips to conserve water on the farm (PDF)
• Irrigation water saving tips (PDF)
• Treatment of greenhouse recirculation water:  Bio-sand filtration (PDF)

Livestock watering

The amount of water livestock requires on a daily basis is often difficult to estimate. The B.C. government has developed a comprehensive handbook to take you through a step-by-step process in calculating livestock water requirements. Livestock Watering Handbook