Two decades ago it was obvious that Parksville and the Oceanside area needed a more dependable and sustainable water supply system. As populations increased the water demands grew, groundwater and most surface water flows declined dramatically especially during the dry summer months.

There are many risks of drinking water contamination in the Oceanside area. The pictures below show a part of the drinking water catchment or recharge area for thousands of people.

'Water Governance' is highly complex and convoluted. The term refers to the political, social, economic and administrative systems in place that influence water's use and management. Essentially, who gets what water, when and how, and who has the right to water and related services, and their benefits. Water governance is one of the most critical areas through which to improve the sustainable development of water resources and services.

Designated under the provincial Wildlife Act in 1993 and expanded in 2001, the Parksville-Qualicum Beach Wildlife Management Area (P-QBWMA) encompasses 1024 ha (2,529 acres) of coastal foreshore, estuary and river habitat between Craig Bay and the Little Qualicum River on southeast Vancouver Island. Here is a link to the Parksville-Qualicum Wildlife Area Management Plan.

A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. There are three main watersheds in the Arrowsmith/Oceanside Area.

I am seeing a large increase in traffic on this page. Three issues may account for this: 
1. The groundwater level in private wells is running low.
2. Water quality may be deteriorating as the well pump is pumping the bottom of the barrel, (so to speak).
3. The period of time for registering to licence a private well has a deadline around the spring of 2019.

New Requirements for Groundwater Users If you divert and use groundwater for non-domestic purposes, you must now obtain a water licence and pay water fees and rentals. This change came into force with the Water Sustainability Act (WSA) on February 29, 2016.Groundwater licensing establishes equity between stream water and groundwater users, and provides additional benefits.

The waterfront in Qualicum Beach is tired and in need of an upgrade, especially with projections of sea levels rising and storm surges intensifying.

Click on the drip for ideas that would improve the Qualicum Beach waterfront.

The Town of Qualicum Beach supplies water to approximately 4,000 water meters in the Town.

The water is pumped from 2 well fields within the town boundaries, the River well-field near Kinkade Rd and the Berwick well-field near Berwick Rd. and Rupert Rd.

The Oceanside area is within the Regional District of Nanaimo. The Parksville and Qualicum Beach together have a population of about 21,000. The electoral areas C,E,F,G and part of H have a population about 25,500. A significant number of these people are supplied water from private wells and small water utilities. The RDN supplies water in parts of the Nanoose Bay Peninsula, San Pariel, Englishman River, French Creek, Surfside and Whiskey Creek service areas. A large corporate water utility EPCOR supplies water to more than 4,000 residents generally in area G between Parksville and Qualicum Beach

There are about 130 water systems in the Arrowsmith -Oceanside area. The Regional District of Nanaimo operates ​5 separate systems. To get a picture of the number and size of other rual water systems. Please click on the map to the right to link to a Special Report on Drinking Water that has some numbers and facts about the Central Island.

The City of Parksville is located in the heart of Oceanside, on the sheltered east coast of Vancouver Island. Parksville is an active community of retirees and families with young children who have chosen to live in Parksville for the quality of life and natural environment. Water supply issues including declining groundwater levels, contamination risks, and seasonal drought conditions have been exacerbated by a steady increase in population.

Ocean levels fluctuate daily as the sun, moon and earth interact. As the moon travels around the earth and as they, together, travel around the sun, the combined gravitational forces cause the world's oceans to rise and fall. Since the earth is rotating while this is happening, two tides occur each day.