As is often the case at this time of year, it is dry in many parts of British Columbia. Low streamflow advisories have been issued for the north east (Peace region) and north west (Skeena region) and areas further north as low snowpacks and subsequent lack of rain have resulted in drought conditions and extremely low streamflows. In addition there are ongoing issues in the Chimney Lakes and Canoe Creek areas in the southern interior and other stream levels are quickly dropping. Please ensure that you use water wisely and conserve whenever possible. For current drought and streamflow conditions check: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/drought_info/.

The B.C. Government, in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, as completed a BC Drought Response Plan. This plan builds on existing tools and outlines the actions taken preceding, during and immediately following a drought to reduce its impacts. It includes communication steps required to ensure timely and appropriate action. Input from the regional drought planning workshops (March – May 2010) helped inform the response plan. Information in the plan includes:

• Responsibilities of agencies at both the provincial and the local levels
• Recommended actions to take prior to the onset of drought
• Drought Response Criteria designed to aid decisions makers to determine when to elevate drought responses to higher levels
• Recommended actions to undertake at each drought level
• Recommended actions to undertake after drought conditions have subsided.

Fish populations and aquatic ecosystems now have improved available habitat and migratory channels in the Okanagan. The upgrading of McIntyre Dam to provide upstream fish passage for salmon is now largely complete and the 2009 Sockeye Salmon run was able to pass the structure. The old roller gates on the dam have been replaced with fish friendly overshot gates. This was a project undertaken with the help of several partners, most notably the Okanagan Nation Alliance. A ceremonial opening planned by the Okanagan Nation Alliance recognised the success of the project on June 5, 2010.

Effective October 4, 2010, high-efficiency (4.8 litre) toilets or dual-flush toilets will be required in all new residential buildings (or when major renovations occur). In all other occupancies, the requirement for with a maximum flush cycle of 6 litres will remain unchanged. Whenever urinals are installed, high-efficiency (1.9 litre) urinals will be required. Information on the new standards is online at http://www.housing.gov.bc.ca/building/consultation/het/.

The Living Water Smart team would like to thank all of you who submitted on modernizing B.C.’s Water Act.

April 30th marked the deadline for formal submissions to the Water Act Modernization process. Engaging with British Columbians has been exciting, dynamic, informative and deeply meaningful for us on the Living Water Smart Team. Your participation has made this stage profoundly valuable. Time and again, we asked you for your input. Time and again, you delivered. And how!

• More than 650 participants registered for our 12 multi-stakeholder and First Nations engagement workshops. Each of these sessions produced many pages of feedback including comments, questions, suggestions and break-out session reports – in all, over 200 pages of direct feedback!
• We’ve received more than 650 email and online feedback form submissions
• We’ve received more than 50 mailed and faxed submissions
• We’ve received more than 85 comments here on the Living Water Smart blog – more than 70 of these are submission level comments.

Previous droughts, including that experienced in southern B.C. in 2009, highlight the importance of having clear actions and strategies to manage water in times of drought for both water users and aquatic ecosystems. The April 1, 2010
Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin reported below normal snowpack conditions across much of the Interior, indicating potential for water-supply challenges to develop during the summer.

The Ministries of Environment and Agriculture and Lands, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are hosting a drought response workshop in Cranbrook on May 13, from 2:30 to 5:00 PM. This workshop will engage you to participate in developing a plan with specific actions for your region in times of drought.

For more information on this workshop, please visit: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/drought_info/

The Water Act Modernization Technical Background Report is a companion document to the Water Act Modernization Discussion Paper. The Technical Background Report reviews historical background, technical information and leading thought and practice that will inform discussion about modernizing British Columbia’s Water Act.

Like the discussion paper, this report does not present any preferred option or position. Both documents are designed to help you prepare a response or submission and includes links and references to other information sources.

An absorbent topsoil layer does more than help your plants and lawn grow well, it also helps you be water smart. Quality topsoil has many benefits including limiting runoff during wet-weather periods and reducing water need during dry-weather periods. The City of Courtenay, City of Surrey and District of North Vancouver are sharing their pioneering experience with other municipal staff and designers. Developed by the Green Infrastructure Partnership, the ‘Topsoil Primer Set’ helps municipalities achieve water sustainability outcomes through implementation of green infrastructure practices.
Two guidance documents are available, one deals with Law and Policy, and the other provides Technical information.

Water Act Modernization – Workshops for First Nations

First Nations have unique interests in and traditional knowledge of water in British Columbia.  The provincial government is planning to modernize the Water Act, a key commitment in Living Water Smart: British Columbia’s Water Plan. The Water Act Modernization Discussion Paper is helping to stimulate discussion and encourage participation in the future of our water at the regional multi-sector workshops being held throughout the province.

In addition to the multi-sector workshops, the Province will also be conducting three additional workshops specifically for First Nations at the following locations:

• March 31 – Kamloops
• April 1 – Nanaimo
• April 14 – Terrace

The purpose of the one-day workshops is to share information, discuss principles for a new Water Act and explore proposals for change that reflect First Nations values for water. To register, e-mail livingwatersmart@gov.bc.ca or call
250 387-9481 with the workshop you would like to attend and your full contact information.

The Water Act modernization discussion paper is now available for your review and comment. The paper outlines opportunities for using, sustaining and managing water resources in a changing environment and has been developed to encourage dialogue on ways to modernize the Water Act.  It proposes principles to underpin a modernized Water Act and presents goals, objectives and describes possible solutions.

Water Act Modernization Workshops

The Water Act is the primary law in B.C for managing our water resources and has a key role in ensuring the sustainability of B.C.’s water resources.  To respond to new challenges that exist for managing our water including dealing with population growth and climate change, the government is looking at ways to modernize the Water Act. 

The Ministry of Environment will be hosting regional multi-sector workshops during March and April 2010
at the following locations: 

• Smithers – April 13
• Nelson – April 16
• Fort St. John – April 20
• Vancouver – April 21

• Nanaimo – March 5
• Prince George – March 8
• Kamloops – March 11
• Kelowna – March 12
• Langley – March 29

The purpose of the one-day workshops is to share information, discuss principles for a new Water Act, and explore proposals for change. Options and solutions proposed in a discussion paper, to be released in February, will be the main focus of the workshops. Facilitated group discussions involving stakeholders from a range of sectors will help inform a modernized Water Act for B.C.

For more information on the workshops, download the invitation.

Previous droughts, including that experienced in southern B.C. in 2009, highlight the importance of having clear actions
and strategies to manage water in times of drought for both water users and aquatic ecosystems.

The Ministries of Environment and Agriculture and Lands, and Agriculture and Agri-food Canada are hosting four drought response workshops at the following locations:

• Nanaimo – March 4
• Kamloops – March 10
• Kelowna – March 25
• Langley – March 30

These half-day workshops seek to gather input for the development of a drought response plan with region-specific actions in times of low water flows. The workshops will engage you to participate in developing a plan that will be put into action this coming summer and fall.

For more information on the these workshops, please visit :
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/drought_info/

A $6.9-million collaborative adaptation program will help B.C. communities deal with the impacts of climate change on water use, forest and watershed management, flood protection and community planning. The Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today announced a Regional Adaptation Collaborative led by the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia and the Fraser Basin Council. The new initiative, entitled Preparing for Climate Change: Securing B.C.’s Water Future, is coordinated by the non-profit Fraser Basin Council and the B.C. Ministry of Environment. Natural Resources Canada is providing $3.3 million of the $6.9 million, which includes contributions from 18 partners in provincial ministries, local governments, First Nations and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and academia.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will be using a new Living Water Smart blog to encourage water stewardship in B.C., share ideas and stories, and celebrate our water smart successes. The blog will be used to support dialogue on modernizing the Water Act and will complement a discussion paper and a series of regional meetings to be announced early in 2010. To join the discussion all you have to do is select comment and tell us what you think. Have your say on how B.C. can be a world leader in water stewardship.

The ministry’s proposed objectives for the Municipal Sewage Regulation review and the proposed revisions to the regulation are provided in a policy intentions paper out now for consultation. A response form to seek responses and comments from stakeholders and the public is provided on the website.
Comments should be submitted by January 29, 2010.

The Water Conservation Calculator is an on-line user-friendly tool geared for water purveyors of smaller communities. Its purpose is to illustrate how specific conservation measures yield both fiscal and physical water consumption savings. Smaller communities often cannot allocate resources to traditional infrastructure projects or cannot budget for the development of professional water conservation/efficiency plans. Water purveyors can use the tool to assist in presenting their conservation case to council and other decision makers.

» www.waterconservationcalculator.ca

Due to low winter snowpacks and drought conditions this summer, and to protect the kokanee salmon population in the Nicola River, Environment Minister Barry Penner has ordered the temporary curtailment of water use on the river, upstream from Nicola Lake. The order is the first of its kind in B.C. and was issued under the authority of Section 9 of the Fish Protection Act. Section 9 was brought into force this August in anticipation of a need to protect fish populations in times of drought.

For the second consecutive year, Science World is challenging BC’s students to document their green actions and submit their digital stories online to the BC Green Games contest. Cash prizes will be given to winning submissions that showcase their environmental success stories. Registration has begun.
Go to www.bcgreengames.ca for more information.

The current long, hot, dry summer which much of the province is experiencing has highlighted the need to conserve water and plan for drought. The Drought Handbook is designed to assist local water suppliers in dealing with drought management and water conservation planning. It provides proactive drought management goals to help prevent the onset of drought conditions, and assists water suppliers to assess, plan, and respond to drought conditions and coordinate internal and external communications.

Canadian Premiers have agreed to implement a Water Efficiency Labelling program across Canada and to establish a Council of the Federation Water Stewardship Council that will focus on water efficiency and conservation. Water efficient labels on water-using appliances and fixtures will help Canadian consumers make informed, environmentally friendly choices about products such as clothes washers, toilets and showerheads. This will ultimately reduce our Nation’s water consumption.

• Upgrading toilets and showerheads to low flow models and placing aerators on taps
• Thinking differently about water use in the home
• Changing the styles of landscaping away from thirsty plants to xeriscaping
• Collecting rainwater or waste water for use in the garden
• Washing cars less frequently, with a cloth or at a car wash that recycles water.