RDN water services manager Mike Donnelly said that electoral areas within the RDN, including Errington and Coombs, also practice level two-water conservation (The NEWS, June 10).
How can he say that when we’re all on private wells and the RDN has absolutely no jurisdiction or control over our water supply or usage? Not yet, anyway. A statement on the RDN website suggests that “unregulated” use of groundwater (private wells) creates more strain on the aquifers.
Private well owners put the least strain on aquifers because we know our water supply is limited. We know exactly how much we have and how much we can use. We are by far the biggest conservers of water. We have to be.
How many people in Parksville or Qualicum Beach ever have to choose between doing laundry or taking a shower? You never see green lawns out here in the summer. If you want to point fingers at the greatest strain on aquifers go to Qualicum Beach, where every lawn is bright green and every driveway is spotless. Just because they’re allowed to water every single day from 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. doesn’t mean they should.
Just for fun, the next time your power goes out, try going the entire time without using any water — no drinking, washing or flushing. Wells run on electric pumps.
In one way the RDN’s Donnelly is correct. We do practice level two (or higher) conservation, but we don’t need to be “regulated.” We do that ourselves. Well owners could easily teach the RDN and municipalities how to conserve water supplies because we don’t waste a drop.
Brenda Hadley
Coombs
