As the temperature rises and lawns start to brown, Metro Vancouver is once again reminding residents to be conscious of their water-usage habits.
The We Love Water campaign, launched on June 21, is encouraging people to show their appreciation for the world-class treated drinking water by consuming it wisely, according to a press release.
Lawn watering and outdoor water uses during the hottest months in the region can cause the average daily demand to double, pumping it up to as high as two billion litres per day.
When it comes to water conservation, small actions really do add up, said Darrell Mussatto, chairman of Metro Vancouver’s Utilities Committee, in the statement. It’s easy to underestimate how much water is wasted when taking long showers, leaving the taps running or hosing down our cars and driveways, he added.
Shortening showers by two minutes can save nearly 600 litres in one month, according to Metro Vancouver.
Water use per capita has reduced over the last decade, despite the population growing by more than 35,000 people each year, reported the press release. Metro Vancouver is now focusing its attention to grow-driven projects, investing about $1.5 billion of its long-range water capital plan.
By using a little less, and caring a little more, we can all make a big difference when it comes to our most precious resource, said Greg Moore, Metro Vancouver board chairman, in the press release. Water conservation simply makes sense – it’s an important part of environmental sustainability, and it’s the right thing to do, he added.
The campaign will be promoted through ads on TV, radio and online as well as at special events while using the hashtags #welovewaterMV and #waterwise on social media. Community members can find water conservation tips at welovewater.ca.
–Anna Dimoff
