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Post by CRCP on Mar 29, 2007 9:26:45 GMT -5
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Post by John Zeger on Mar 29, 2007 9:30:59 GMT -5
World Water Day in Kelowna (March 22) heard some interesting comments and pronouncements on the subject of future water usage and supply from some leading people. Mayor Sharon Shepherd announced that the city plans to reduce water consumption by 15 percent over the next five years and that it will be a requirement of all new development to incorporate water conservation measures within its plans.
However, while these are both laudable objectives, I felt uneasy knowing that any gains in terms of water conservation will be quickly overtaken by the increased demand for water from new residents as the city continues to grow at a rapid rate. Equally unsettling was hearing Water Smart coordinator Neal Klassen suggest that perhaps the green grass in our parks should be allowed to go brown in order to save water. I wondered if this is just the leading edge of the decline in the quality of life that we will all be asked to accept in order to accommodate more growth. What will be next, replacing the rose bushes in City Park with less water-intensive cactus?
The wisest observation of the day came from noted water authority Dr. David Schindler who said that we need “to get rid of the mentality that we are not good unless we are growing fast” and that “[there will need to be] limits on human population in certain areas.” In that regard, the City of Okotoks, Alberta has gained world recognition for sustainability in part because of their decision to cap their population and to link their ultimate city size to the future availability of water. In order to ensure sustainability and a continued high quality of life, Kelowna should look to the example set by Okotoks, determine what its optimal population size is based on factors such as future water supply, and, in the meantime, prudently slow its rate of growth until that figure is known.
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Post by John Zeger on May 24, 2007 9:04:52 GMT -5
A perusal of Stewart Cohen and Tina Neale’s report on water supply and demand in the Okanagan presented at the recent Okanagan Partnership workshop on the Valley’s future leaves the reader with one inescapable conclusion -- the factor that will have the greatest impact on future water demand in the Valley is population growth. It would thus follow that controlling our future rate of population growth is the most effective way of assuring the sustainability of our water supply.
The report, Participatory Integrated Assessment of Water Management and Climate Change in the Okanagan Basin, makes it clear that neither conservation measures nor changes in urban form to higher densities by themselves or in combination will be sufficient to avert a future water shortage. Although the report falls short of calling for population growth controls, the data and reasoning therein leads one to conclude that this solution is the best way to avoid a water crisis which the report states could come as early as the 2020’s.
Communities all over North America from California to Maine including Brampton, Ont. have used population growth rate controls in response to their infrastructures not being able to keep up with the demands of their rapidly growing populations. These controls limit the number of new residential building permits issued annually to a number corresponding to a desired rate of future population growth. This is not a radical or extreme measure (is Maine a radical jurisdiction?) but rather a pragmatic and sensible solution to a grave dilemma which deserves serious consideration by our politicians.
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Post by John Zeger on Sept 28, 2007 13:18:06 GMT -5
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