British Columbia's Administrative Penalties (Water Sustainability Act) Regulation (B.C. Reg. 1/2024) took effect, setting the maximum administrative monetary penalties the Province can impose under the Water Sustainability Act.
Most listed contraventions, including diverting or using water without an authorization, carry up to $100,000; a shorter list of contraventions, and failing to comply with certain orders, carry up to $500,000. Listed contraventions of the Groundwater Protection Regulation carry up to $100,000. If a contravention continues for more than one day, a separate penalty may be imposed for each day. These are maximums, not automatic fines.
Who it affects: Water users and the well and pump trades, including anyone using groundwater for non-domestic purposes without the required authorization.
What hasn’t changed: Licensing requirements and exemptions are the same as before. The regulation adds an enforcement tool; it doesn’t create a new licence requirement.
Source: Administrative Penalties (Water Sustainability Act) Regulation, B.C. Reg. 1/2024 · checked October 2, 2026
Updates: None yet.
