PEIThe town on Prince Edward Island’s North Shore, is asking residents and businesses to cut back on how much water they are using amid a provincewide drought.Province says drought contingency plans for large water users to be in place by next yearJenna Banfield · CBC News · Posted: Sep 22, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoOfficials in North Rustico say there are no firm restrictions in place at this time, but cutting back on ‘unnecessary’ water usage is recommended. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)The Town of North Rustico is asking residents and businesses to cut back on how much water they are using amid a provincewide drought. The community on P.E.I.’s North Shore has not put firm restrictions in place yet, but those in the area are being urged to reduce “unnecessary” usage like washing cars and watering lawns.Stephanie Moase, North Rustico’s chief administrative officer, said there are no signs of stress on wells in the town, but officials are hoping to prevent things from getting to that point.”We think it’s a good idea to just remind people to always be water conscious,” she said, adding the request to curb water usage will likely stay in effect until there is a substantial rainfall.Keeping an eye on water levelsOther municipalities like Charlottetown, Stratford and Summerside said they haven’t needed to ask residents to restrict their usage yet — but that they are closely monitoring water levels.Staff with the Trout River Environmental Committee, a watershed protection group on the Island, said they’ve noticed lower water levels at most sites compared to the last two years. That can affect things like the movement of aquatic life in waterways.”With lower water levels, that means less available deep water habitat, so less available cool waters, especially for brook trout to take refuge in,” said Shayla Steinhoff, the committee’s executive director.Shayla Steinhoff with the Trout River Environmental Committee says focusing on businesses that use large amounts of water is key to keeping the province’s levels in check. (Submitted by Shayla Steinhoff)Steinhoff said residents using less water can help in drought situations, but she added that the issue doesn’t necessarily fall on individuals alone.”We’ve got a lot of… organizations and stuff that are maybe using more water than on an individual level,” she said. “I think maybe we should be focusing on, you know, businesses rather than individuals.”Mandatory drought contingency plans comingSean Ledgerwood, manager of the water and air monitoring section of P.E.I.’s Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, said the province’s Water Act will soon include more provisions for businesses. By next year, large water users will have to create drought contingency plans to reduce their water usage during times that the province is concerned about low levels. “We’re always continuously watching and making sure that, you know, if there is a problem, we’ve got something that can be done,” Ledgerwood said. “This would be a great tool to use to make sure that water use is lowered a little bit.”Ledgerwood said this summer has been one of the driest on record, but he expects the Island to see more rain in the fall — which should bring water levels back to normal.ABOUT THE AUTHORJenna Banfield is an associate producer for CBC Prince Edward Island. She can be reached at jenna.banfield@cbc.caWith files from Delaney Kelly
North Rustico urges reduced water use, while other P.E.I. municipalities keep a keen eye
