On July 20, 2005, the Village of Lumby launched its Water-use Efficiency Program. In keeping with the newly adopted Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan, a Stage-1 water conservation threshold was declared that introduced water sprinkling regulations, a public education program, and a more stringent water level monitoring program for village wells. This was well received by residents, and resulted in excellent voluntary compliance.
In an attempt to reduce overall water consumption and peak flows, many communities are encouraging residents to use water more efficiently. There are many ways to decrease water use in the home, and some people need to be taught these methods, while others need to be reminded of the importance of water conservation. Education for the residential sector is an important and effective part of any community’s water management plan.
In many areas of B.C., water consumption by the agricultural and ICI (industrial, commercial, institutional) sectors represents a significant percentage of the total water use. In some areas, the irrigation of agricultural lands accounts for most of the water supplied by the local utilities. For this reason, the implementation of water conservation initiatives is essential for these sectors. To ensure large-scale acceptance and participation in water conservation programs, these water users must be educated as to why conservation is important, and how it can be done.
