Castlegar water usage all wet
By Castlegar Source
City council heard, in its regular meeting Monday night, that resident water consumption increased by three per cent in 2009, compared to 2008’s numbers – and that’s a problem.
Councillor Gord Turner pointed out that the city is currently missing out on granting opportunities that depend on more-controlled water consumption.
“We use about 70 gallons more per day than the national average,” he said, adding the hope is that 2009’s increased consumption is a weather-related anomoly, not an overall trend. “They (water consumption rates) actually decreased for the six first months of the year, while August through December saw a significant rise over the same period in 2008.”
City director of Public Works Chris Barlow said weather may well be the determining factor, attributing the late-year increase to, “a very hot, extended autumn, followed by a very cold, snowless November and December.”
Councillor Kevin Chernoff pointed out city initiatives like water metres, designed to promote water conservation, as well as capital projects to reduce systemic water waste, city-sponsored public education events like water fairs, cooperative projects like Water Smart and the like, will hopefully bear fruit in time for the city to reap any potential funding rewards.
Turner said the good news in the report is that Castlegar continues to enjoy extremely high water quality – well above accepted standards – and outlined some of the city efforts undertaken in the past year:
* 1,583 manula chlorine residual tests conducted throughout the city in 2009;
*147 water samples tested for E Coli and Coliforms, all of which tested negative;
Completion of the Water Management Plan, Phases 1 and 2 and the adjustment of 2010 water rates to create the reserves necessary to fund a capital replacement program;
*262 residential water metres installed;
*150 rain barrels offered to residents by the city, along with two public information sessions discussing conservation.
For more information on city conservation efforts or best practices, contact Castlegar Public Works at 250-365-5979
Comments