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.
What the RDCK is doing
Water Smart Initiative
The Regional District is participating in Water Smart, a Columbia Basin Trust Initiative. This water conservation initiative aims to achieve a 20 % Basin-wide reduction in community water consumption by 2015. We will be working collaboratively with CBT and the Town of Creston to develop an action plan to address water conservation. This will include a strategy to reduce system leakage and increase efficiency. Stay tuned for more information or contact Nicole Ward, Environmental Services Coordinator (250) 352-8192.
Infrastructure Upgrades
The RDCK will soon be starting on the replacement of 1 km of the Arrow Creek mainline. The electors within the “Arrow Creek Water Treatment and Supply Service Area” authorized the borrowing of one million dollars through the alternative approval process to undertake this project. The future debt repayments will be funded from contributions made by the Town of Creston (63%) and the Erickson Water Distribution Service (37%).
The 11 km long mainline provides drinking water to residents of Erickson and Creston. Several kilometers of the pipeline, constructed in 1929 are made of concrete joined together by grout collars. This old pipe was designed to operate as a flume and not as a pressurized system. Leak repairs are ongoing; in 2008 the RDCK replaced two km of leaking pipe, saving millions of litres of potable water. The RDCK anticipates that this 1 km pipe replacement will save approximately 15% of the overall consumption and fix about 50% of the leakage. Future replacement of the remaining old pipe will result in additional water savings.
What you can do Every Drop Counts!
During the spring and summer months water use can incease 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 xeroscapic landscaping techniques. Xeroscaping 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 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. A thorough soaking of water once a 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. Install low-flow showerheads. Low-flow showerheads deliver 10 litres of water per minute. Older showerheads deliver 20-28 litres per minute.
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 needing cleaned. 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
Water Restrictions are in effect only 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 are required to comply with water restrictions.
When Do Water Restrictions Apply?
- 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 shall be permitted between 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
The above restrictions apply to the watering of lawns only; watering of flower and vegetable gardens is still permitted.
