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Elkford reduces water consumption by nine per cent
The District of Elkford has reduced gross community water consumption by nine percent since 2009.
That is the equivalent of 121 mega-litres or 121,000,000 litres of water annually. This means that the town is on its way to achieving its target of a 20% reduction in water use by 2015.
Duncan McDonald, Superintendent of Public Works, cites three key reasons for the reductions: location and repair of leakage in the municipal distribution system; extensive water loss management training for water operations and management staff; and implementation of a successful public education and outreach program.
Elkford’s water consumption is highest in the winter months and drops in summer months, which is the opposite of most communities in British Columbia. This is due to ‘winter bleed,’ which is when a valve is left open and water is left running to prevent it from freezing.
Future opportunities for further water demand reductions include:
– Pressure management and metering sections of the water distribution system;
– Ongoing implementation of a public outreach and education program targeting outdoor and winter bleed demand reductions; and
– Management and minimization of winter bleeding on District mainlines.
The District of Elkford has a Water Smart Ambassador on staff this summer to help residents reduce their water use. The Ambassador will also be conducting a survey about residential winter bleed lines. People interested in learning how to water their lawns more efficiently and other water conservation tips can contact Elkford’s Water Smart Ambassador at 250-910-4028 or [email protected].
Elkford is part of the Columbia Basin Water Smart Initiative (Water Smart), a regional water conservation initiative that provides support to participating Basin communities to develop and implement local water use efficiency plans to reduce community wide water consumption. Water Smart is working to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in gross community water consumption among participating communities by 2015.
District of Elkford
