Clean and available water is critical to maintaining the health of people in Metro Vancouver and, quite frankly, the viability of the region. Rapid population growth and the impacts of climate change are placing a strain on our water system. Our region must also prepare for earthquakes and the pending "big one."
To guide the management of our water and water supply system, the Metro Vancouver Regional District is updating its Drinking Water Management Plan, which will guide the actions of the Regional District for years to come once adopted.
The Regional District has proposed five overall strategies to manage drinking water.
- Ensure that climate change, natural hazards and disasters, aging infrastructure, and damage do not interrupt the delivery of drinking water in the region.
- Ensure that our drinking water remains safe and that we continue to have sufficient drinking water to meet the needs of a rapidly growing region.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the drinking water system.
- Protect and enhance the ecological health of the lands, rivers, and lakes where Metro Vancouver operates, including ensuring the health of fish.
- Conserve water by expanding water metering, promoting water use reduction, reducing leaks in the system, and promoting non-potable water usage. (Non-potable water can include using rain barrels or, in larger buildings, rainwater capture systems for watering lawns or flushing toilets.)
- Training new and retaining current workers with the know-how to manage Metro Vancouver's complex drinking water system.
The Regional District will be seeking feedback from people in the region on its proposed updated Drinking Water Management Plan over the summer. They are calling it "Our Water. Our Future" and will be at various events throughout our region, such as the PNE and other summer community celebrations.
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