Editor:
The Sunshine Coast Regional District wants residents to cut back even more on water use? We all know there isn’t enough water for many months of the year – it’s been that way for a long time and with climate change it’ll only get worse. If there isn’t enough water for current residents, why are big subdivisions still being approved, adding hundreds of more houses (plus suites) to our “water supply”?
Years ago, I cleaned several vacation rentals (owners all lived off-Coast), and guests not accustomed to water restrictions wasted vast amounts. An example: at one house, midday on a scorching August day, I came to deliver more toilet paper (lots of people, lots of flushing!) and the renters had the sprinkler going full blast trying to revive the dead brown lawn. The maximum number of guests in one house I looked after was supposed to be eight – but more people had often been invited by the renters. In cleaning between guests, I sometimes did eight loads of laundry in one day. A lot of water was also used in cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, washing floors, etc. The minimum rental period was three days. Imagine how much water is being used by hotels every day, washing sheets and towels for dozens of rooms.
We who live here are supposed to let our gardens die and keep cutting back on our water use. This year between the SCRD water bill and DOS taxes, I paid a total of $832.25 for water that I’m not really allowed to use, while hundreds of new houses are being built and tourists can use all the water they want. Something is wrong with this picture.
Cecilia Ohm-Eriksen, Sechelt
