Water is one of the Fraser
Basin's most precious and valuable resources. Water is essential for human
health and survival. It is a critical for irrigation, industry, energy,
recreation and tourism. It is also required to sustain plants, animals and
ecosystems. The vast network of tributary rivers, lakes, streams, marshes,
bogs, swamps, sloughs and waterways that connects the cities and towns throughout
the Basin makes it appear as though water resources are pure and inexhaustible.
Freshwater is however a finite and increasingly vulnerable resource. Maintaining
the quality of water, and ensuring an adequate supply, requires that individuals,
governments, communities and industry work together to balance the diverse
short and long term needs of communities, industry and the environment.
It requires ongoing monitoring and, in many cases, it requires changes in
behavior, technology, process and governance to support and maintain the
water needed for a sustainable region.
| Water
Quality Index |
|
FAIR/MIXED
RESULTS
- In 2003, 4 sites rated as Good, 3 were Fair, and 1 site was Poor.
|
| Water
Quality Trends |
|
FAIR/MIXED
RESULTS
- In 2005, 1 site was Improving, 5 were Stable, and 1 site was Deteriorating. |
| Municipal
Water Consumption |
|
MIXED
RESULTS/POOR
- Total consumption
has increased (21%) since 1991, but per capita consumption has dropped
(7%). |
Status of Water Quality (2001-2003) 2
The Provincial Water Quality Index measures the impact of pollutants on
water quality. Index scores rank the quality of the water against objectives,
which are set for each water body based on the users of the water (humans
and other life) and the waste streams entering the water body. Of the eight
water bodies monitored in the Fraser Basin, four were rated 'Good', meaning
that "conditions rarely depart from natural or desirable levels and
that all uses are protected, with only minor threats or impairment";
three were rated 'Fair', meaning that "conditions sometimes depart
from natural or desirable levels and that most uses are protected, but a
few uses are threatened or impaired" and one was rated as 'Poor', which
means that conditions in this water body usually depart from natural or
desirable levels and most uses are threatened, impaired or even lost.
Water Quality Trends (2005) 3
Water quality trend monitoring is used to detect subtle changes over time
that may result from an ongoing activity or land-use within the catchment
area of the watercourse. Trend assessments, based on data collected over
the past twenty years have been conducted at eight sites throughout the
Fraser Basin. The water quality at five of these sites is stable, including
three in the Upper Fraser, and one in each of the Cariboo-Chilcotin and
Thompson regions. Data from the site at Hope in the Fraser River shows an
improving trend and that in the Salmon River at Salmon Arm in the Thompson
region is deteriorating with increasing turbidity and chloride.
Drinking Water Quality (2001-2006)
4,
5
Health Canada estimates that unsafe drinking water causes 90,000 illnesses
and 90 deaths every year in Canada. The latest Drinking Water Report Card
issued by Sierra Legal Defense Fund suggests that the regulatory systems
in place to protect drinking water in BC are improving somewhat. BC's grade
was raised from a 'D' in 2001 to a 'C+' in 2006. BC's accredited labs for
water quality testing and operator certification were considered to be good;
however, improvement was deemed necessary with respect to treatment and
contaminant standards, testing and public reporting. BC's grade was near
the median for Canada with five provinces receiving a higher grade and four
receiving a lower grade.
Municipal Water Use (1991-2001)
6
According to the Municipal Use Database, the quantity of water used per
day by municipalities in the Basin increased by over 21% between 1991 and
2001; however, per capita use dropped by 7%. Municipalities in the Thompson
region reduced both the total amount of water used per day and the per capita
daily use over this decade. The Fraser Valley, however, experienced a 167%
increase in total daily use and a 21% increase in per capita use. With the
exception of the Cariboo-Chilcotin region, the majority of municipal water
is used for domestic purposes. In 2001, residential use accounted for 63%
of water expended in the Basin, 30% was used by industry, institutions or
businesses and 7% was lost through system flushes, leakages or unknown sources.
|
Langley plan
to protect groundwater
In 2006 the Township of Langley in the Greater Vancouver-Sea to Sky
region began work on the province's first community water management
plan under the Water Act. The plan is intended to address or
prevent conflicts between water users, or between water users and
in-stream flow, as well as risks to water quality. It was initiated
in Langley as a means of addressing declining local groundwater caused
by rapid urban growth and also to protect water quality.
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What is being done?
Municipalities
and residences are making a greater effort to monitor their water use, through
the use of water meters.6 Water metering has been proven to help reduce
rates of water consumption.
The
extent of water quality monitoring has increased in BC, from sampling in
13 basins in 1998 to 20 basins in 2004. 7
www.waterbucket.ca
is a new, interactive website designed to provide the information and resources
to support integrated water management in BC through on-line dialogue and
exchange of ideas. The website is a partnership involving government, Crown
corporations, non-government associations and the private sector.
What else can we do?
Fixing a tap that is
leaking at a rate of only one drop per second will save more than 25 litres
of water a day (10,000 litres / year). Converting to low-flow toilets (6
litres of water / flush) and showerheads (9.5 litres per minute) can save
2,000 litres of water per week. 8
Water audits can help
businesses and institutions determine where excess water is being used and
how to reduce water use through efficiency improvements.
The
establishment of province-wide standards for rainwater harvesting and water
recycling would help to ensure that new developments are "water-wise".
REFERENCES
1. "Canadians' Attitudes and opinions Toward Environmental
Issues" The Environmental Monitor 2003-2005, Globescan: www.globescan.com.
2. BC Ministry of Environment (Water, Air and Climate Change
Branch). Water Quality Index 2001-2003.
3. BC Ministry of Environment (Water, Air and Climate Change
Branch). Water Quality Trends. 2006.
4. British Columbia. Provincial Health Officer. (2001).
A report on the health of British Columbians. Provincial Health Officer's
annual report 2000. Drinking water quality in British Columbia: The public
health perspective. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Health Planning: www.health.gov.bc.ca/pho/annual.html.
5. Sierra Legal Defense Fund, 2006, Waterproof 2: Canada's
Drinking Water Report Card: www.sierralegal.org/m_archive/pr06_10_06.html.
6 Environment Canada, Municipal Use Database, 1986-2001:
www.ec.gc.ca/Water/en/manage/use/e_data.htm.
7 BC Ministry of Environment (2004) Water quality in British
Columbia: Objectives attainment in 2004. Water, Air and Climate Branch,
BC Ministry of Environment.
8 Statistics Canada, 2001 as reported by Environment Canada.
Water Efficiency/ Conservation Resources:
www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/effic/e_weff.htm.
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