Water conservation is way of the future
The Daily News
Published:Â Monday, May 10, 2010

Whether we as Nanaimo residents have the time or not to attend a two-day forum about our watershed, this is an issue to which all of us must pay attention.

The Vancouver Island Water Watch Coalition may think that there is an effort to privatize water on Vancouver Island in the absence of concrete evidence to the contrary but that does not mean this group ought to be looked on as just another bunch of fringe activists.

In the first place, there have been efforts in other parts of the world to privatize and sell water that was once a common resource. It can't hurt to have a group guarding against such a thing happening here.

And as the watershed that supplies our drinking water is privately owned, by Island Timberlands, it has to be considered a positive step that a group of citizens has taken it upon themselves to monitor how Island Timberlands is doing its logging in that area.

To date, regardless of the claims of the VIWWC, there is no evidence that Island Timberlands is jeopardizing our water system or water quality.

Regulations are in place to protect the area with heavy penalties. And again, we have seen in the past despite the best efforts of government regulations private interests damaging ecologically sensitive areas.

If there is one message from VIWWC that needs to be heard, it's that constant vigilance is required by the public over what is becoming a very precious public resource.

If the public needs to be more involved in watershed protection it's not because Island Timberlands is somehow failing to protect our water supply.

It's that residents need to be more aware of where their water comes from and that it is a finite resource.

While VIWWC raises a great proposal for the city to acquire the watershed, as suggested to the city in 2007 by a study, just now that's not a realistic objective, no matter how much of good idea it may be.

The money is not there to pay the estimated $150 million for city to assume ownership over the property.

The two-day forum will be held May 29-30 and conspiracy theories aside, residents can make a statement by attending should Island Timberlands decide to sell the property to a party other than the city.

While no one is going to be interested in the property for development the message needs to be clear that in case another timber company should be interested that Nanaimo residents are demanding the continuance of the highest of standards of care for any logging in the watershed.

Too often we go to the tap without thinking of where our water comes from. Behind the city is a vast system of mountains, valleys and rivers that have supplied our water for decades.

And there is no guarantee that this system will continue to be able to keep up with increasing demands as the city grows.

Even Lantzville, that once did well on a system of wells, is now experiencing water difficulties as that area grows. Gabriola Island has the same problem and the Regional District of Nanaimo is looking at innovative ways to reduce water usage and to conserve what's there.

As part of one of the fastest growing parts of Canada, Nanaimo will likely one day also be faced with taking radical steps in water conservation and reducing use.

Now is the time for residents to assure that our watershed is protected and future generations have lots of clean water.

© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2010