Even here in the rainy lower mainland, we can’t take water for granted.

The provincial government is now considering changes to the Water Sustainability Act. The revised act was discussed at the society’s March meeting. There is great concern about:

• commercial enterprises extracting millions of litres from Langley aquifers at no charge and then bottling and selling this resource
• numerous uncapped artesian wells that pump out water year round
• farming practices that still rely on overhead sprinklers

While the act may include statements about the importance of protecting our water sources, they are meaningless without regulations and enforcement personnel.

There was discussion about the need to ensure that all citizens be granted a set amount and that all withdrawals above this limit should come with charges to pay for enforcement and rehabilitation efforts.

The society will be holding a forum in the fall of 2014 to address these issues.

SRES’s position
The Council of Canadian’s position
Water Sustainability Act Overview (28 pages)
Complete proposal (127 pages)