It costs the Greater Victoria Water District $40 million to treat our drinking water. We are very fortunate to have access to the world’s cleanest water. Just turn on the tap and it flows out of sight and down to the sea.
Our hands are sanitized, teeth whitened and we may have popped a few pharmaceuticals to correct a dysfunction. It’s all good.
I have heard that in B.C. there are some water bottling companies that use municipal water, bottle it and sell it.
Has the Capital Regional District ever considered doing this? Imagine a natural, local renewable resource that might actually help reduce taxes.
To take this idea even further, I watch as several local schools have their field sprinkler systems turn on automatically as most Victorians are still sleeping.
Thousands of gallons of treated water irrigates the school fields. It is an added expense to the School Districts’ budgets using treated water and the taxpayers pay for it.
Yet, we are warned by expensive CRD media ads “to conserve water or a CRD bylaw officer will be at your door.”
If the municipalities were to agree on building greenhouse-style tertiary plants within their municipalities, the potable water could be used for disbursement to school playgrounds and nearby boulevards.
It might reduce the need for some pipeline retrofits and replacement.
The greenhouse facilities could potentially attract eco-tourists, dignitaries and even a few impoverished local taxpayers.
Has this idea been considered as a cost-benefit by Seaterra?
Imagine the Seaterra program actually trying to save money. (I must sweep these ludicrous imaginings from my brain.)
It’s been said, “If you can dream it, you can make it happen.”
I dream of the day when the water, schools and CRD member municipalities might implement a plan that would combine and reduce taxpayer expenses.
Could the CRD actually try to save money, or is the CRD only in the business of spending money? Am I only dreaming?
Art BickertonSaanich
