The installation of water meters will benefit Kamloops as well as the environment. Using all that water that Kamloopsians splash around has environmental impacts. We return less water than we remove to the ecosystem — and the water returned is of a lower quality than that withdrawn. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, that bastion of environmental concern, states “high (water) consumption places stress on rivers, lakes and groundwater aquifers and may require dams and flooding with serious ecological impacts.”

The provincial government is also worrying about high water consumption coupled with climate change. They suggest, “There are growing concerns about summer water shortages in the Interior….  Rising air temperatures will reduce the amount of precipitation that falls as snow in the winter and in the mountain regions, resulting in lower river levels during the dry summer period. Higher temperatures in the summer will increase the need for water — for people, aquatic life, and irrigation in agriculture. What’s more, the increased heat will heighten the evaporation of water, leading to water loss. This will make it even harder to ensure adequate water supplies.”

We can mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing our water consumption. If we do so, we will benefit financially by not funding an expansion of the current water treatment plant.

CHRIS PYETT

Kamloops