I Want To

Water Conservation in Clearwater

2023-07-14 — In light of the current drought conditions in BC, the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, Bowinn Ma, has asked municipalities to escalate their water restrictions as quickly as possible. If water licensees do not adopt voluntary reductions, “regulatory action may be required to protect the aquatic ecosystem and fisheries population.”

Droughts are classified on a 1 to 5 scale. Currently, the North Thompson is at Level 4. Clearwater residents are asked to voluntarily reduce water use wherever possible, in compliance with the District of Clearwater Interim Water Conservation Plan.

Clearwater Water Facts

  • The cost of producing water in Clearwater more than doubled between 2017 and 2020
  • The District uses significantly more water per capita than provincial or national usage (402% higher in 2019 than the national average)
  • The District is working to address water leaks and is currently conducting leak testing in advance of repairs
  • The District adopted an Interim Water Conservation Plan in 2022
  • The Clearwater Fire Department is changing their training plan in response to the drought
  • The District is at risk of losing their surface water source as a result of the drought
  • A leak of one drop per second can waste 10,000L of water per year
  • An average residential swimming pool uses less water than a similarly-sized lawn

Benefits of Conserving Water
Water conservation or water use efficiency is important to community sustainability for a number of reasons:

  • Decreases operating costs (pumping, treating, distributing, and replacing infrastructure)
  • Decreases household energy bills associated with hot water
  • Protects the health of our rivers
  • Assurance that water supplies will be available for many purposes – drinking, hygiene, landscaping, food production, firefighting
  • Environmental effects from water withdrawal, and energy consumption/greenhouse gas emissions from system operation

Effective water conservation practices also enables us to become more flexible during times when there is a water shortage.

To view the Interim Water Conservation Plan, click here: https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/76087/

For more information visit the District of Clearwater website: https://www.districtofclearwater.com/residents/water-conservation/