Saturday, March 22, is World Water Day.
Regardless of colour, creed, or political inclinations, all human beings depend on water for life, as do all living things.
It isn’t a big issue for most British Columbians, there is water everywhere.
We have rivers, streams, and lakes, many of them pristine. We have groundwater, or aquifer.
In all, we have 291,000 unique watersheds in B.C., all of them special. We only have to turn on a tap and there is it. Along with household use and agriculture, we need water for hydro, nuclear and thermal power, and most resource industries use the “blue gold.”
Some, like the natural gas industry, have a huge impact on water resources. While B.C. is apparently brimming with water, it’s a different story in other parts of the world.
There are horrendous water shortages in California, Australia, Brazil and numerous eastern countries. Some blame climate change for the water problems, some blame piggy humans (there seems to be no end to the ways we can muck things up) but whatever, the world is catching on to the idea that water may not be as renewable as we think it is.
Mindful that water is “our most precious resource” Mary Polak, B.C.’s Environment Minister, has proposed a Sustainable Water Act to replace the present century-old legislation. The new act includes regulations and measures to ensure British Columbians will have access to clean water. It promises to regulate groundwater, manage water use during droughts, and to measure large-scale water use. The ministry is also looking into the matter of pricing B.C. waters.
While almost everyone agrees it’s about time for an update on water laws, critics say the new act doesn’t go far enough, especially in terms of regulations for industrial use. Some call it the “Watered Down Act.”
Time will tell.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.
