Submitted
More than 120 people showed up to the Golden Town Council meeting on September 3 to demonstrate concern about the health of Golden’s water.
At the council meeting, local resident and scientist Dr. Annette Luttermann gave an informative presentation. She spoke about the need for a ban or moratorium on issuing provincial water licenses for commercial water bottling and export.
Attendees learned of the need for more local control and oversight management of water resources and the potential of local bylaws and policies in this area.
Water Guardians is a group of local concerned citizens that have been working to raise awareness and attention to this issue.
They are concerned about the health and sustainability of our shared freshwater, particularly in the face of climate change, which is putting pressure on watersheds.
They believe that water should be safeguarded for human and ecological needs, not for commercial sale.
Water Guardians stated that Town staff informed them that there has never been anywhere near that many people to turn up to a Town council meeting in recent history.
Much of the concern has risen after GoldenKey Investments Group began drilling a test well site within the Town of Golden, in hopes of building a water bottling facility, which would fall under a provincial water license.
Golden is not the only community concerned about water bottling threatening our water supply.
Thousands of British Columbians across the province have sent letters to their local council asking them to vote in favour of a resolution to protect aquifers at the Union of BC Municipalities’ convention later this month.
The resolution calls upon the province to “cease the licensing and extraction of groundwater for commercial water bottling and/or bulk water exports from aquifers.”
Town of Golden councillors have an individual vote in the resolution. To add your voice to the issue and resolution, go to www.freshwateralliance.ca/action.
There has been success in other jurisdictions. For the past three years, Ontario has prohibited any new permits that would authorize water bottling facilities to take groundwater.
Over the next few weeks, watch for volunteers at various community events around Golden.
Residents are invited to take the opportunity to add their names to a physical petition for the BC Legislature asking the government to “immediately stop approval of groundwater licences under the Water Sustainability Act for bottling and commercial sale of groundwater from our aquifers.”
For more information or to get involved e-mail waterguardiansgolden@gmail.com.
