Issue Paper

Tom Galloway on

WATER

Water sourcing and treatment is one of the key services the Region provides.  It is after all, one of the main sustenance of life.  It is critical to our health and in some cases to our industries.  Given that we rely on Ground water more than anywhere else in Canada, protecting our aquifers is vitally important.

• Our Official Plan must protect our well areas from contamination and this sometimes conflicts with development rights but nonetheless must be paramount.

• We must continue to look for and promote candidate Environmentally Sensitive Landscapes (ESLs)

Efficient use of our water supply in a ground water environment is vitally important in order to minimize the need for new sources or capacity.  I have been on the Water Efficiency Committee with numerous public members since being on Council.  We have been able to reduce our per capita use of water through various measures, so that while our community grows, our peak water usage has stayed stable.

• Continue and strengthen the outdoor watering bylaw

• Promote xeriscaping

• Promote various water reducing strategies such as low flush toilets, rain barrels, low water usage water softeners, etc.

• Continue with the Aquifer Storage Recharge (ASR) system for peak periods

• Put off indefinitely the very expensive pipeline to the Great Lakes

• Continue to push the area municipalities to reduce pipe leakage