[All] Great Water Article!

[Ginny Quinn]

Bob  YES   I have clipped this wonderful article (as I usually do when the
author is in complete agreement with me)    LOL      seriously    It's what
Emil Frind ( son, Michael)  and it certainly is.  He  has been saying for
years  and the more of us who keep saying and  writing this FACT  will ,like
training rookies, make the repetition of it sink deeper.    He calls it "our
liquid gold"   Thanks Bob GinnyQ

 

From: all-bounces at gren.ca [mailto:all-bounces at gren.ca] On Behalf Of Kevin
Thomason
Sent: February-28-12 1:56 PM
To: all at gren.ca
Subject: [All] Great Water Article!

 

Congratulations to Bob Burtt on the great water article in the Record today!
It is wonderful to see that the Record has an environmental reporter again
(well for one day at least...).

 

It is wonderful to see this important issue covered in the press and
hopefully it can become the foundation of important dialog moving forward.

 

Keep up the great work and writing!

 

Cheers,

Kevin.

 

----------------------------


Aggressive water conservation could cancel pipeline plan


Some time this year, Waterloo Region will complete work on a new long-term
water supply plan, aimed at determining how best to satisfy the thirst of a
growing region.

Early indications suggest it will, among other things, call for dramatic
increases in water conservation and delay the construction of a pipeline
from Lake Erie.

The region anticipates cutting household consumption from about 229 litres
per day to someplace between 150 litres and 170 litres per day.

By focusing on conservation, the region believes it can defer construction
of the pipeline until decades after 2035, when it was once thought to be
required. Deferring the pipeline, estimated to cost north of $1 billion,
would save the region a tonne of money.

The planned reduction might seem like a challenge enough for a region that
already uses considerably less than the national average. But environmental
groups are calling for even greater savings, and they have good reason to do
so.

Aggressive water conservation would be much more than a feel-good exercise
for residents. Done properly, it has the potential to not only defer but to
cancel plans for the pipeline.

The Grand River Environmental Network, a local environmental group, believes
that with aggressive conservation, the region wouldn't need any new sources
of water from the lake or any other source.

The region already promotes water conservation through programs such as
toilet replacement, water-efficient garden seminars, rain barrel
distribution, water efficient technology programs, leak detection programs
and a water conservation bylaw that restricts the outdoor use of water
during the summer months.

Research by the Polis Water Sustainability Project suggests that household
use could easily be cut to 150 litres a day, and with even more aggressive
measures to as low as 72 litres a day.

Volunteers with the Grand River Environmental Network support aggressive
conservation measures.

"We think what is needed is a strategy that goes beyond standard measures
such as replacing toilets and encouraging the use of efficient appliances
and focusing on more aggressive strategies," says John Jackson, chair of the
network.

Jackson wants the region to look at ways to harvest water from rooftops and
use it to flush toilets. That would make homeowners less dependent on
municipal water supplies and would require the redesign of water pipes.

That's something that should start with new construction, where it would be
less expensive than trying to make renovations in existing homes, he says.

Steve Gombos, manager of water efficiency for the region, says the region
will be looking at grey water systems and a wide variety of other measures
when it updates its water efficiency plan next year.

Gombos said he expects the region will continue to target leaks, possibly
run a program on residential audits, and educate people on ways about the
care and operation of water softeners and humidifiers in homes.

While rainwater harvesting and the reuse of grey water will be considered,
Gombos fears the work and cost involved are prohibitive for the ordinary
guy.

"I'm not sure what kind of uptake we would have."

As for the pipeline, there remain a lot of unanswered questions.

The Grand River Environmental Network questions the need for the project,
doubts that the prospect of drawing water from a troubled lake will be
popular and thinks that the idea of chasing water down the Grand River only
to pump it back at great expense makes little sense.

Published reports in The Record have pointed out the irony in a situation
that sees water rates go up while conservation causes consumption to go
down.

While it is true that revenues fall when less water is sold, it is dangerous
to over simplify a complicated situation.

Danielle Bruyer, manager of finance and administration in the water
department, says there is no way of knowing what impact water conservation
has on rising rates.

Bruyer explains conservation is but one of a number of factors that
contribute to lower revenues. "The weather can play a big role and so can
economic conditions," she points out. "On wet years there is less demand to
water lawns or gardens."

In good economic times new businesses open and in bad times some fail,
causing less water to be used and less revenue.

Schneiders Foods (owned Maple Leaf Foods) will no doubt cause revenues to
tumble when that plant finally closes in 2014. The huge meat-packing plant
in Kitchener is typically among the top three water users in the region

But its demise will be the result of business decisions and will have
nothing to do with water conservation programs.

On the other side of the coin, conservation has played and will play a role
in deferring expensive plans to extend water pipes and new infrastructure
that is required to run the system. In those instances, rate increases are
prevented or eased.

Putting off work that might have been needed today for another five or 10
years means that spending thousands and some times millions of dollars can
be avoided or deferred.

The Lake Erie water pipeline is a case in point. If the region decided to go
ahead with that megaproject in 2035, the region would have to begin raising
rates now to save money to help offset the $1-billion plus that would be
needed down the road.

Deferring, or better yet, cancelling that project would save more than even
the most ambitious water conservation plan would cost.

Bob Burtt is a former environmental reporter with The Waterloo Region
Record.

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