A B.C. Water Conservation Survey conducted by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection and the BCWWA’s Water Sustainability Committee shows that 48 percent of utilities have recently upgraded their computer systems, while 19 percent are considering doing so. Not surprisingly, the main stumbling block is cost, with the majority of utilities looking for grants and funding from senior levels of government.
A 2004 Water Conservation Survey conducted by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection and the BCWWA’s Water Sustainability Committee shows that while a significant number of utilities are considering implementing best management practices (BMPs), few are actually using them. The most commonly used BMP—establishing a metering plan to account for water use and losses—has been adopted by just under one in three utilities, although it is being considered by another 44 percent. Other BMPs being used or considered include developing a water distribution system renewal plan (30 percent are using one, 41 percent are considering using one), water conservation (27 percent, 49 percent), and cross-connection control (27 percent, 39 percent).
The 2004 Water Conservation Survey conducted by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection and the BCWWA’s Water Sustainability Committee showed that only 18 percent of utilities are using benchmarking, while 21 percent are considering it.
Many Canadian municipalities have adopted water conservation or water efficiency programs. Different initiatives have been employed, as no one program suits every municipality, and they have proven successful in reducing water demands and saving capital and operating costs.
