Priest Lake is the source of Van Anda’s water.

There are several regulations in place to protect the source of our drinking water.

Please contact us or a Vancouver Coastal Health Officer if you see anything that needs attention.

Community Watershed Zoning Bylaw

This qathet Regional District bylaw regulates land use in the community watersheds, including permitted activities, housing density and setback, sewage disposal, and more.

Here is the section regarding use of Priest Lake:

SECTION 11 – LP ZONE (LAKES PROTECTION)

PERMITTED USES – 11.1 The following and no other uses are permitted in the LP Zone:

• (a) LOW-IMPACT RECREATION (see below)
• (b) Private floats, wharfs, piers and walkways for providing access to the PARCEL immediately abutting the lake shore, except i. no BUILDING or STRUCTURE, including boat shed or shelter, shall be erected on any private float or wharf other than posts to carry lighting fixtures or supports for safety; and ii. private floats or wharfs shall be used for private access only and no commercial or industrial activity or use shall be permitted.

LOW-IMPACT RECREATION means non-commercial day use, outdoor recreation opportunities in association with natural amenities and includes walking, hiking, climbing, fishing, non-motorized or electrically powered boating, but specifically excludes playing fields, golf courses, picnic areas, campgrounds, and commercial recreation opportunities providing overnight accommodation.

Click here for full Bylaw PDF

BC Drinking Water Protection Act

The Drinking Water Protection Act covers all water systems other than single-family dwellings (and systems excluded through the regulation). The Act sets out certain requirements for drinking water operators and suppliers to ensure the provision of safe drinking water to their customers.

Here are a couple of relevant portions of the Act:

Prohibition against contaminating drinking water or tampering with system

23   (1)Subject to subsection (3), a person must not (a)introduce anything or cause or allow anything to be introduced into a domestic water system, a drinking water source, a well recharge zone or an area adjacent to a drinking water source, or (b)do or cause any other thing to be done or to occur, if this will result or is likely to result in a drinking water health hazard in relation to a domestic water system.

(2)Subject to subsection (3), a person must not (a)destroy, damage or tamper with any part of a domestic water system, (b)open or close any part of a domestic water system, (c)introduce anything or cause or allow anything to be introduced into a domestic water system, a drinking water source, a well recharge zone or an area adjacent to a drinking water source, or (d)do or cause any other thing to be done or to occur, if it is reasonably foreseeable that, as a result, the owner of the domestic water system would have to limit the use of the water provided by the system on the basis that there may be a risk of a drinking water health hazard.

Offences and penalties

45   (1)A person who contravenes this Act, or a regulation, order, direction or permit under this Act, commits an offence.

(2)Unless a lower penalty is specified by regulation, a person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on conviction to the following: (a)in the case of an offence that is not a continuing offence, a fine of not more than $200,000 or imprisonment for not longer than 12 months, or both; (b)in the case of a continuing offence, a fine of not more than $200,000 for each day the offence is continued or imprisonment for not longer than 12 months, or both.

See the full Drinking Water Protection Act.

BC Water Sustainability Act

The Water Sustainability Act (WSA) was brought into force on February 29, 2016 to ensure a sustainable supply of fresh, clean water that meets the needs of B.C. residents today and in the future. The WSA is the principal law for protecting, managing, and using water efficiently throughout the province.

Here are a couple of relevant portions of the Act:

Definition including lakes: In this act, lakes are included in the definition of “stream”, which means (a)a natural watercourse, including a natural glacier course, or a natural body of water, whether or not the stream channel of the stream has been modified, or (b)a natural source of water supply, including, without limitation, a lake, pond, river, creek, spring, ravine, gulch, wetland or glacier, whether or not usually containing water, including ice, but does not include an aquifer.

Prohibition on introducing foreign matter into stream

46   (1)Unless authorized under this or another enactment or excepted under subsection (2), a person must not (a)introduce debris, refuse, carcasses, human or animal waste, pesticides, fertilizers, contaminants or another matter or substance into a stream, a stream channel or an area adjacent to a stream, or (b)cause or allow debris, refuse, carcasses, human or animal waste, pesticides, fertilizers, contaminants or another matter or substance to be introduced into a stream, a stream channel or an area adjacent to a stream; in such a quantity or in such a manner as to cause a significant adverse impact to (c)the stream or stream channel, (d)the existing uses of the water from the stream, (e)the property of riparian owners on the stream, (f)an aquifer that is hydraulically connected to the stream or the existing uses of the water from that aquifer, or (g)the aquatic ecosystem of the stream.

(2)Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to (a)a forest practice to which section 46 [protection of the environment] of the Forest and Range Practices Act applies, or (b)a prescribed activity, practice or substance.

General offences

106   Paragraphs (1) to (5) list a huge number of offences, including failure to comply with regulations, water diversion, damaging works, destroying official notices, obstructing officials, obstructing or damaging fire hydrants, introducing foreign matter into stream, and much more.

(6)A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction to the following:(a) in the case of an offence that is not a continuing offence, a fine of not more than $200,000 or imprisonment for not longer than 6 months, or both; (b)in the case of a continuing offence, a fine of not more than $200,000 for each day the offence is continued or imprisonment for not longer than 6 months, or both.

High penalty offences

107   Paragraph (1) covers sensitive streams, dams on protected rivers, failure to comply with remediation orders, fish population protection, stream obstruction, prohibited wells, obstructing officials, and interfering with works which under official action.

(2)A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction to the following: (a)in the case of an offence that is not a continuing offence, a fine of not more than $1,000,000 or imprisonment for not longer than one year, or both; (b)in the case of a continuing offence, a fine of not more than $1,000,000 for each day the offence is continued or imprisonment for not longer than one year, or both.

See the full Water Sustainability Act.

Some resources on watershed protection:

Provincial Watershed Security Strategy and Fund, regarding action on water and watersheds in B.C. The Intention Paper created presents five policy intentions with several themes and example actions that could be taken to better care for our watersheds, including the plants, animals, and people in them.

BC Watershed Security Coalition – a non-partisan, diverse coalition, of over 50 organizations including farmers, hunters and anglers, Indigenous peoples, local governments, businesses, and conservationists, representing 255,000 British Columbians from all walks of life. The Coalition focuses on advancing modern-day solutions that increase community resilience and security.

Contact us or a Vancouver Coastal Health Officer if you see anything that needs attention.