Editor:
Re: “SCRD defends $5.5M water meter project,” April 8.
We moved to the Coast some 13 years ago from the Middle East. Thousands of years ago societies there such as the Nabateans learned to capture and store the meagre bounty mother nature provided. All, without the benefit of modern engineering or heavy equipment. As we moved through our first summer here I was astounded to hear our local politicians bemoaning our water supply problem. And, worse still, flummoxing residents with less than honest water consumption comparisons - none of which were backed up by facts.
In a place where the water source gets about five feet - yes, five FEET - of annual precipitation, we do not have a water supply problem! Never have. Compare - Athens, Greece 14.7 inches; Amman, Jordan 10.7 inches; Tel Aviv, Israel 20.8 inches. We have certainly had successive years of drought that has been directly attributable to mismanagement; the bounty we receive regularly over about eight months of the year just sluices down to the sea.
Metering does nothing to increase supply. It may have a fleeting impact over a very short period of time on consumption. In the interim, our population will grow and our elected officials and staff will continue to attempt to attract businesses to the Coast. In other words demand on the system will grow. Metering will not change that, and official bellyaching over an imagined supply problem will dissuade savvy business owners from relocating.
Last week’s letter in support of water meters cited the occurrence of a one-million-litre leak over two years. The writer sounded technically sound. I wonder if this was reported to the SCRD some two years ago and if there was any follow-up investigation? The SCRD might do better to fine cheaters and find a more sophisticated means of finding leaks.
Rick Cloherty, Gibsons
