Safeguarding our primary water source

In Gibsons, we have been blessed with favourable access to Aquifer 560, a pure groundwater resource that provides potable water to the Town’s three water zones. It’s a pristine, award-winning and irreplaceable natural asset and we take our stewardship of it very seriously.

Read the “Protecting the Aquifer” section of the Town’s 2015 Official Community Plan here.

The initiatives outlined below describe actions we have taken to protect the Aquifer within our municipal boundaries. However, safeguarding our primary water source also requires that we protect the entire watershed, which extends well beyond the Town of Gibsons’ borders. You can read about our efforts to protect the watershed here.

Development Permit Area No. 9

The Town of Gibsons has established Development Permit guidelines to regulate development in the areas designated as Development Permit Areas (DPAs).

DPA 9 is the Development Permit Area related to Aquifer 560 and was established to:

• Protect the Aquifer 560 from possible pollution from land use and development activities;
• Protect the integrity of the low-permeable till layer (the aquitard);
• Promote the efficient use of water to ensure a sustainable hydrologic system in the watershed and ensure a sustainable source of potable water; and
• Provide an opportunity for furthering the understanding of the hydrology of Aquifer 560 system.

Read “Aquifer 560 DPA No 9” section of the Town’s 2015 Official Community Plan here.

Read more about DPA 9 and its update here.

Aquifer Mapping Study & Update

Another large investment the Town’s taxpayers have made in protecting our water source is the commissioning of a grant-assisted four-year mapping study of the Aquifer and its subsequent update.

The initial Aquifer Mapping Study was completed in 2013 for a total cost of $500,000. The resulting report is a comprehensive, science-based water-strategy document that became a key resource for any person contemplating projects that might impact the aquifer, from the Town’s planners to the province’s environmental officers.

In June 2022, a comprehensive update to the original mapping data was completed. The new report integrated all hydrogeological data collected by the Town since 2013, updated the related geological and numerical groundwater model, and assessed the long-term sustainable supply from Aquifer 560 under various demand and climate conditions. Overall findings were positive, with predictive modelling showing that the Town can meet future demand for water as we move towards full buildout (10,000 residents). Read more here.

Groundwater Monitoring Program

Gibson’s Official Community Plan envisions us adding approximately 5,000 residents to the Town over the next 20 years (for a total population of 10,000). As our population grows, the Aquifer Mapping Study prescribes gathering detailed information about the long-term effects of variables such as user demand, climate change, and sea level rise on the aquifer’s total capacity. Accordingly, the Town implemented an annual groundwater monitoring program in 2009, so that we are consistently able to make sound, fact-based decisions about our future build-out.