Water used by people, wildlife and communities in British Columbia will be protected against misuse by new regulations that promote compliance with water management best practices.

The Government has implemented regulations that will allow financial penalties to be issued for violations of the Water Sustainability Act.

The goal is to promote compliance with the legislation and to better manage water resources in B.C., while protecting critical habitat for vulnerable species.

Previously, small fines (as much as $230) were available for minor violations or, for the most serious violations, court prosecution.

The new fines for moderate to serious violations will give the government more tools to encourage compliance with the act.

The regulations will allow for penalties of as much as $100,000 for a general contravention, and as much as $500,000 for high-penalty offences defined under the act.

The new administrative monetary penalties are modelled after similar fines used across the natural resource sector, including the Environmental Management Act, and the Forest and Range Practices Act.

To see the full release, visit Government of British Columbia.