In December 2024, Council adopted the Limits to Growth Policy. The policy helps manage future development while protecting Tofino’s limited water supply.

Tofino’s drinking water comes from five creeks on Meares Island, which are stewarded by Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. During the dry summer months, water demand often exceeds what the creeks can provide. To address this challenge, the District is working to secure an additional water source and treatment capacity. Until then, the Limits to Growth Policy guides how and when new development can move forward.

What the Policy Does

The Limits to Growth Policy places a cap on how much new water use the District can approve. Key features include:

• A Water Allocation Certificate (WAC) is required for all new developments.
• Water is prioritized for housing and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation-led projects.
• High water-use developments, such as hotels and resorts, are not eligible for WACs.

Council Update: August 12, 2025

At the Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, August 12, Council approved an allocation of 33.12 cubic metres per day to support development at 825 Campbell Street. This project will include 24 single-family lots and a 55-unit market rental apartment building.

Following this allocation, the remaining raw water supply available for new development is:

• Residential: 4.61 m³/day
• Commercial, Industrial, Institutional: 9.11 m³/day
• Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation: 60 m³/day

Next Steps

District staff are currently working with several applications from developers. Combined, these applications would require approximately 10-30 cubic metres of water per day for residential developments and 20-70 cubic metres for industrial, commercial, and institutional developments. This exceeds the current cubic metres available.

Based on current demand, the remaining 4.61 m³/day for residential use may be fully allocated. Once the current allocation is fully committed, the District cannot approve additional development that requires new water connections. This may delay some projects until an alternative water source is available.

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