Is it getting dry in here?
As we often remind ourselves in wetter months, we live in a temperate rainforest. That, no doubt, has contributed to our somewhat lackadaisical attitude about just how much H2O we use.
Funny how record-breaking drought and heat will put an end to that. With our reservoirs at 69 per cent and dropping, we’re now at Stage 3 water use restrictions for the first time since 2003 (and then, it was at the end of August.)
Beyond tightening faucets and abandoning the goal of a green lawn, now would probably be a good time for us to get a better handle on where our water actually goes.
In the District of North Vancouver, the top 10 industrial clients consume about 25 per cent of water annually. But among residential users, 40 per cent of water is consumed during just three summer months.
The statistics still leave a lot of questions unanswered. Where are the leaks in the system? Are the meters accurate? We’d like to think our summers of the future will be a little damper, but if this is the new norm, having better data will be key.
We do know that communities with water meters that bill users by volume generally consume less. To date, however, cheap water has been preferable to expensive water meters. That might change in future.
We’d also welcome action from all levels of government to encourage grey water capture systems, and water recycling for jobs that don’t require tap water.
That’s something we could drink to.