'The worst that it has ever been': Concern mounting as severe drought conditions persist in parts of B.C.

The situation is dire. That is how the drought conditions on the B.C.'s Sunshine Coast are being described.

The water supply for about 20,000 residents is so low, there is only enough water to last until early November.

“This is the worst that it has ever been” said Remko Rosenboom, the general manager of infrastracture services for the regional district

 “It’s now over 90 days since we had a good amount of rain here,” he explained.

This week, the district used a helicopter to bring in a syphon system to draw water from a lake after water levels dropped to unprecedented lows.

“Because it is pretty serious, we have activated an emergency operations centre to coordinate our efforts,” Rosenboom explained.

He said the district may have to truck water from further up the coast or the Lower Mainland which he described as a "logistically, technically and financially very cumbersome exercise.”

Other parts of the province are also seeing concerning conditions.

Earlier this week, disturbing video emerged near Bella Bella. A social media post showed thousands of dead salmon at the bottom of a creek.

"We’re feeling the impacts of climate change all around us in B.C.,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands, Water and Resource Stewardship said in a statement.

“This is a highly unusual situation caused by recent drought conditions and it is very concerning to see the impact of drought conditions on wild salmon.”

In its statement, the Ministry of Forests said several areas in the province are being impacted, including the east and west Vancouver Island basins.

“At Drought Level 4, conditions are extremely dry and adverse effects to socio-economic or ecosystem values are likely,” the ministry said. 

On the Sunshine Coast, residents are under Stage 4 water restrictions, meaning water can’t be used at all outside -- not even for washing cars or watering gardens.

The restrictions could tighten even further if the situation doesn’t improve. The hope in the area is for rain which is not in the forecast.