Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Metro Vancouver has adopted an updated Drinking Water Management Plan with an increased focus on water conservation.
The plan outlines a regional target to keep per-person water use to a maximum of 320 litres per day by 2035, a Mtro Vancouver release said. In 2023, Metro Vancouverites used 384 litres of drinking water per person per day.
“In Metro Vancouver, we have some of the best drinking water in the world — and that’s not by accident. It’s due to decades of hard work, collaboration, and careful planning. Long-term strategies like our Drinking Water Management Plan help ensure our system stays resilient, reliable, and affordable,” Metro Vancouver board chair Mike Hurley said.
The Drinking Water Management Plan lays out the following priorities and actions, the release stated:
- Strengthen system resilience to earthquakes and extreme weather
- Maintain and renew aging infrastructure
- Plan responsibly for continued population growth
- Optimize how we use existing infrastructure
- Advance conservation and encourage uptake of metering by member jurisdictions
- Protect source waters and environmental health
- Build and retain the expertise needed to manage and operate a complex regional system
More than 60,000 people from across the region provided input through surveys, events, workshops, and review sessions, the release added.
“The feedback we heard during this collaborative process showed us that we were on the right track — particularly around conservation, environmental protection, drought preparedness, and long-term resilience,” said Brad West, Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Water Committee. “This plan will help us manage risk and ensure we can reliably deliver high-quality drinking water for generations to come,” Metro Vancouver water committee chair Brad West said.
