When you turn on your tap, you hope that safe water comes out, but do you ever stop to think about the actual source of that water?
All around the world, drinking water source protection and management has proven to be the least costly, and the most effective way to provide sustainable and safe drinking water.
We are very fortunate that we have a significant amount of precipitation in this area, and it is relatively free of airborne contamination. With large expanses of comparatively pristine land at elevations above the general population, there should be no problem with providing the region with a good quality, reasonably priced, sustainable supply of water.
Think again, the writing has been on the wall for more than 20 years.
There are some very serious issues relating to both water quality and quantity in the area. The powers to be will not come clean to the true picture of the water situation, or that many inappropriate decisions in the past have resulted in some very tenuous supply problems.
Millions of dollars are being thrown at a supposed solution, with consultants reports piling high enough to build another dam.
Residents should be encouraged to inquire about the drinking water sources, i.e. watershed, catchment area, drainage basin, aquifer and groundwater levels for their particular drinking water supply.
Another fact to consider is that water is a universal solvent and contains traces of almost everything that it contacts; landfill, auto-wrecking, septic systems, industrial drainage, and cemetery come to mind.
I have posted some basic information on my website innovationbc.com.
Trevor Wicks
Qualicum Beach
