Canadians Rank Among World’s Top Water Hogs

 

Graphic showing water pricing versus water consumption. Canada's price of water is among the lowest in the world and its consumption is among the highest. (Source: Polaris Project)

Graphic showing water pricing versus water consumption. Canada’s price of water is among the lowest in the world and its consumption is among the highest. (Source: Polaris Water Project)

Global cities that conserve the most water use incentives, new technologies and metering

“While public education and water restrictions help to conserve water, dramatic reductions can be achieved through water pricing and government incentives to upgrade wasteful appliances,” wrote Randy Shore in a feature article published by the Vancouver Sun newspaper on August 8, 2015.

Turning Off the Taps

When metering is universal, and combined with user pays water pricing, the article reports that the water savings are significant.

Bill-Sims-120pIn the City of Nanaimo, metering of water started circa 1980.  The city also employs water pricing that places the entire cost of water delivery on users without any subsidy from property tax.

“That has had a huge impact,” said Bill Sims, the City’s Manager of Water Resources. “As (capital) costs have gone up, we’ve turned the water rates up and people have responded by turning their hoses off.”

Nanaimo residents use about 17-per-cent less water than Metro Vancouver residents. Bill Sims expects that gap to widen in 2015.

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Per capita use