Environmental Trends 2007

Fresh Water

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Initiatives: The federal, provincial and territorial governments worked together to develop national guidelines for water quality.

Action Plan for Safe Drinking Water

B.C. Drinking Water Protection Act and Regulation (2005)
B.C. Water Act and Groundwater Protection Regulation (2005) introduced standards for well construction and management.
B.C. Water Management Plans address risks to water quality, conflicts between users, and between users and instream uses.
B.C. Hydro Water Use Plans
B.C. Water Conservation (Plumbing) Regulation: all new toilets installed in the most populated areas of the province must be low-consumption models.

Water Sustainability Action Plan (WSAP) for British Columbia is a key initiative to improve awareness and encourage action around the sustainable use of water resources.
The WaterBucket provides a ‘one-stop’ portal to a comprehensive set of information resources and planning tools.
The Water Balance Model for British Columbia is an evaluation tool that quantifies the benefits of installing rainwater source.
The Water Sustainability Project (WSP) is a University of Victoria POLIS Project to increase public awareness of water issues.

Reduce your use of household cleaning products and solvents and use less harmful alternatives, such as phosphate-free soaps and detergents.
Never dispose of such products down the drain or outside where they can enter storm drains. If possible, take them to recycling or collection centres (see Recycling Council of BC or call: 1-800-667-4321).
Reduce or eliminate use of fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn and garden. Instead, use slow-release fertilizers, non-persistent pesticides and natural pest control products.
Regularly check and repair fluid leaks from your vehicle. If you service a vehicle yourself, be sure to recycle used oil and antifreeze.
Compost kitchen waste and other organic matter and recycle the compost to gardens.
Have septic tanks inspected and pumped out every three to five years.

Install low-flow toilets (save six to 14 litres per flush), low-flow showerheads and faucets.
Check all taps and fixtures for leaks.
Take shorter showers or use less water in baths.
Run dishwashers only when full, rather than wasting water on a partial load and use short cycles and full loads in washing machines.
Purchase water conserving appliances when it is time to replace them.

Make sure watering systems do not leak.
Let lawns go dormant in the summer, watering only once in months with no rain.
Water in the morning or evening to reduce loss to evaporation.
Use drip irrigation systems for garden plants and be careful not to over water.
Choose drought-tolerant plants; group plants with the same water needs together.
Keep soil around plants covered with leaves or other organic mulch.
Use a bucket of soapy water to wash your car, then rinse quickly using a hose.
Sweep sidewalks and driveways rather that using water to spray them clean.

Join or form a community stewardship group to care for a local water body. For watershed groups near you, see Stewardship Canada or Environment Canada's Water Quality web site.
Participate in local community planning and regional growth strategies.
Encourage your neighbours, local employers and community leaders to adopt water quality protection measures.

Environment Canada has a comprehensive web site with information on what individuals can do.
The Canada-British Columbia Farm Planning Program has produced an Environmental Farm Planning Reference Guide which includes a section on protecting water resources.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth Report [pdf].