Port Alberni Water Restrictions 2026

Port Alberni is served by the City of Port Alberni in coordination with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD). Source water: China Creek Reservoir is the city's primary supply, treated at the Bainbridge Water Treatment Plant, with the Stamp River system also part of the regional watershed. Construction began in April 2026 on phase one of a drinking-water infrastructure upgrade (replacing a 1.1 km section of watermain north along Franklin River Road); short construction-related restrictions are possible during the upgrade. Port Alberni is geographically central on Vancouver Island but is technically a west-coast community – it sits at the head of the Alberni Inlet, which extends 40 km inland from the Pacific Ocean (the longest inlet on Vancouver Island). The 1964 Alaska earthquake generated a tsunami that funnelled up Alberni Inlet and caused significant damage to the city; tsunami preparedness remains a defining local emergency-management consideration. Mount Arrowsmith snowpack monitoring is relevant to the city's source watersheds. Local context: Port Alberni's economy has historical roots in forestry and pulp / paper mill industry. Salmon-bearing rivers (Somass River and Stamp River, both flowing through the Alberni Valley) are critical fish habitat – environmental flow requirements influence summer water-allocation decisions. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Tofino + Ucluelet) is approximately 100 km west across the island; tourism passing through Port Alberni en route to the West Coast adds seasonal demand. Western Vancouver Island climate is wetter overall than the east coast but can have sharp summer-drought swings.