Water Conservation

Canada ranks 28th out of 30 nations belonging to the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD) when it comes to overall water consumption. It’s no secret, Canadians use a lot of water. It’s time that we start reducing that rate of consumption. Conserving water is easy and makes good sense from an economic, social, and environmental standpoint.

Water Smart Initiative

The Regional District is participating in Water Smart (a Columbia Basin Trust initiative) for the Erickson water system. Water Smart aims to achieve a 20% Basin-wide reduction in community water consumption by 2015. The RDCK has worked collaboratively with CBT and the Town of Creston to develop an action plan to promote water conservation in Erickson. This includes a strategy to reduce system leakage and increase efficiency.

For more information on Water Smart, please see Columbia Basin Trust's website.

Infrastructure Upgrades

The RDCK recently replaced 1 km of the Arrow Creek mainline, which services the Erickson water system. This portion of the distribution system, which was originally installed in 1929, suffered from extensive leakage problems. The RDCK anticipates that replacement of this 1 km section will save approximately 15% of the overall consumption on the system, and fix approximately 50% of the leakage. Repairs are ongoing. In 2008, the RDCK replaced 2 km of leaking pipe, saving millions of litres of potable water. In the near future, a further 8 km of pipe on the Arrow Creek system will be replaced.

What you can do

During the spring and summer months, water use can increase by 50% because of outdoor watering activities. By adopting some indoor and outdoor water-savvy habits around your home, you can ensure that there is adequate water supply for everyone!

Conserving Water Outdoors:

• Practice xeriscapic landscaping techniques. Xeriscaping is the practice of planting with native or drought-tolerant plants. Some examples include: osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), dull Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa), oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), or Mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii). Consult with your local garden centre for details on which types and varieties of plants fit this category.
• Wash your car infrequently, or better, don’t wash your car at all.
• Purchase a rain barrel to collect rainwater which can then be applied to your lawn & garden.
• Get rid of your lawn. Instead, plant native ground cover such as periwinkle (vinca), kinnick-kinnick, or cotoneaster. Not only do these plants require less water, they don’t need mowing, and stay green all summer.
• Plant more trees and shrubs on your property to keep your house cool and to protect your garden from drying out. Compost the leaves that fall in the autumn.
• Apply compost to your gardens. This helps soils to retain moisture and reduces the need to water as often.
• If you have a lawn, water it infrequently. This promotes deep roots and heartier lawns. Grasses are typically very tough. One inch of water per week will keep your lawn happy.
• If you use a sprinkler, avoid using the “mist” setting. Misting just encourages water to evaporate into the air before it hits the plants. Water only in the morning and early evening. This, too, reduces evaporation.

Conserving Water Indoors:

• Renovating your bathroom? Invest in a low-flow toilet and save up to 30% of your daily water usage.
• Install low-flow showerheads. They deliver 10 liters of water per minute. Conventional showerheads deliver 20-28 liters per minute.
• Take shorter showers (maximum 5 minutes) or, when taking a bath, use less water in the tub.
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or when soaping your hands during washing.
• Only run your dishwasher when it has a full load of dirty dishes. Some dishwashers even have a water saving cycle. Make use of it. When you don’t have a full load of dishes, use your sink.
• If you like drinking cold water, try storing water in a container in the refrigerator. This way you don’t have to run the tap to make the water cold. Running the tap wastes 20-28 litres of water per minute.
• When washing your clothes, use the correct setting (e.g. small, medium, large) to match the amount of clothing you have. Use the shortest possible cycle.
• Toilets can account for up to 30% of all inside water use. Place a brick wrapped in plastic in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush. Remember to wrap the brick in plastic to prevent grit from entering your plumbing. A plastic pop bottle filled with water or sand and capped will also do the trick.

Water Conservation Measures

All RDCK systems except Erickson

Water restrictions are in effect from June 1 to September 30 regardless of seasonal weather patterns. All commercial and residential customers who receive their water supply from a Regional District water system, except those on the Erickson system, are required to comply with water restrictions. Specific water restrictions for Erickson are detailed below.

When can I water?

• Odd house number addresses may water on odd numbered days of the month.
• Even house number addresses may water on even numbered days of the month.
• No sprinkling is permitted between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.

The above restrictions apply to the watering of lawns only; watering of flower and vegetable gardens is still permitted.

Erickson Water System

The RDCK recommends that outdoor water use be voluntarily restricted between the hours of 10 am and 7 pm daily between June 1st and September 30th. Upon notification, further water conservation measures may be imposed by the Regional District as necessary.

For more information

For further details on water restrictions, please see the RDCK's Water Rates and Regulations Bylaw (No. 2052, as amended), which is available for download here.