The Comox Valley Regional District has noticed a 35 per cent water use reduction since stage three water restrictions were put in place on Friday, July 3.
RD officials say the daily consumption for the Comox Valley water system has decreased since the elevated restrictions came into effect. The data indicates that residents understand the extreme drought situation within the region and they’ve demonstrated that understanding by decreasing their water use in the month of July. From June to July, valley residents have brought their daily average down by approximately 15,000,000 litres/day.
These local area restrictions are an essential part of reducing the water withdrawal rates from the Puntledge River. The water that supplies the Comox Valley water system originates in Comox Lake and is taken from the Puntledge River and delivered to approximately 41,000 residents. Our water is a shared resource with BC Hydro using its share of the water to generate electricity (shutdown since June 16), and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans using it to ensure salmon stocks migrate and thrive.
“We thank the community for responding to an unprecedented situation that began late last summer with extremely low levels of water in the lake and the rivers, followed in the fall of 2014 with the flooding and boil water advisories, and now the drought ” said Dave Leitch, CVRD’s senior manager of water and wastewater services. “Adapting to dramatic changes in our weather conditions has become the new reality, with uncertainty over how long the dry weather will continue or if heavier than normal rainfall might follow – causing stress on the dry riverbanks.”
Goat News spoke with RD spokesperson Koreen Gurak…
As for implementing the much more severe “Stage 4” water restrictions? Gurak says no decisions have been made on that yet, but the issue is before the CVRD Board…
For now, residents and businesses are asked to continue complying with the local area water restrictions which essentially requires all homeowners to use water only when completely necessary. The CVRD has posted daily water consumption values (updated weekly) for the Comox Valley water system on its website at www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/usage .
For more information on the local area water restrictions, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/restrictions .
