Sunday, May 8, 2011
Is Cranbrook Ready for Water Meters?
The issue of water meters could become a hot issue in this political season as our city is considering holding a referendum on the issue. The City of Kamloops held a referendum several years ago on water metres in which the citizens of that city rejected their use. However recently the City of Kamloops realized that water meters were the only way to make people reduce their water use despite an intensive water education program. Kamloops has very high water usage even compared with Kelowna and Penticton. The City of Kamloops recently decided they would install water meters in all homes over the next 3 years. We , in Cranbrook, also use a lot of water and while the city has been initiateding a water education program there is no motivator for any of use to reduce our usage since we all pay the same amount for the water. The City of Cranbrook recently signed the Columbia Basin Water Charter pledging to reduce water usage by 20% by 2015. How do we achieve this goal without water metres? What do you think? Do we need water meters here in Cranbrook?
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Installing water meters will be expensive, but would result in greatly reduced water consumption by as much as 30%. The alternative is the prospect of further water restrictions, particularly in long, hot, dry summers, and the probability of the need to build another reservoir, which will be a far greater financial burden on the City and taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that water is not a limitless resource. We cannot keep drawing from our resource indefinitely without some form of control. Typically water consumption in Cranbrook rises dramatically in the summer, particularly during long, hot, dry summers, when many home owners feel they have to water their yards to excess. The installation of water meters would force us to become more thoughtful water consumers.
It's just a pity that the City does not include a tour of our watershed, our reservoir, and our water treatment plant in its Water Education Program. Then we might develop a greater appreciation of why we have to use water wisely.
What about those of us that put in underground sprinklers for the same purpose? I water at night when the usage is lowest and the lawn gets the most bang for the buck by not evaporating in the heat. I set my system to the minimum amount of time per zone to use the least amount of water.
ReplyDeleteSo, with the possible on-set of water metres I'm forced to pay much more.
Unfair for those of us who conserve already.
Water metering will work in your favour, particularly if you already use water wisely!!
ReplyDeleteThe person who waters his lawn all day every day will be hit hardest because there will be different rates for different times of the day. For example, the person who chooses to water in the heat of the day, when much of the water will run off or evaporate depending on conditions, will pay a much greater amount than the person like yourself, who waters at night or early in the morning when it is cooler and there is less evaporation. There will also be a sliding scale which will cost more once a person goes over a certain limit determined by the City.
Water metering will force consumers to consider how much water they use and when they use it. It will encourage us to reduce and conserve the amount of water we use, or else be prepared to pay for excess use of water, especially in the middle of the day.
I have a large city boulevard adjacent to my property which I keep green all summer. If I have to pay to keep city property looking good, I guess it isn't going to happen. We already have enough ugly boulevards on 27th Avenue, so I guess one more won't really matter. Or will it????
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