Dear Editor: I am writing with respect to the potential levy of an additional water rate charge for owners of swimming pools in the District of North Vancouver. I think this is a very bad idea that will result in an increased use of water, not the savings expected.
During about nine months of the year, I regularly pump rain water out of the pool. From January to April of this year, I pumped out 22 inches of water. I take care to use this rainwater, as needed, to vacuum clean the pool. In order to condition the water for swimming, I spend about $500 per year on the necessary chemicals. The main use of the pool is during the time water is fairly
scarce, but with the chemical additives, there is a strong motive to conserve treated pool water. All swimming pool owners are faced with the same issue. By the end of August, I will have vacuum-cleaned the pool twice. I need an inch of pool water to do this, or the equivalent of about three periods of lawn watering. This is about 20 per cent of the water I would be allowed to use if the area was planted as a lawn. I would contend that we use less water than most of our neighbours.
Major cleaning procedures have always been done deliberately during months when the reservoirs are full to make best use of available water. For our pool this has been done three times in 20 years, never in summer.
Should the municipality proceed with this levy, I will act to get full value from the water rate, and will cease to feel any compunction about using any amount of water within legal limits. For a service such as water supply to be successful, the municipality needs the goodwill of the citizens. If this highly discriminatory charge is levied, the district will certainly lose my goodwill. Far from saving water, I think you see water use increase. I hesitate to refer to a pool levy as a money-grab. After all, how many swimming pools can there be in North Vancouver? I certainly can see it as a move to take advantage of a group of citizens with little hope of public sympathy.
William A. Paull
North Vancouver
