"Whoa that ain't good." Those are words you never want to hear from certain people. A mechanic, doctor, or in my case a while ago, a plumber.
I didn't know it, but "that" was actually the sound of water leaking out of the pipe going from my house to the curb. I live in one of the thousands of Squamish homes built in the 1970s and apparently, all those homes are leaking massive amounts of water. But since there's still moderate pressure and water is perceived to be free, most people don't fix it until it completely breaks or a massive sinkhole is created.
That perception of water being free is actually an incredibly expensive lie. In fact, the District of Squamish is going to have to spend millions of dollars (read: more big tax increases) to build more infrastructure because most people don't immediately see the price of water coming into their homes.
Recently, the district implemented a new outdoor water use bylaw that looks to address conservation. I voted against this, not because I'm against conservation, but because I don't believe it goes nearly far enough. It is unfortunate that in our society people water their lawns and driveways without understanding the true costs of doing so. And don't get me started on the fact that we have the cleanest drinking water in the world and we literally crap in it.
The best way to address most of these issues is to meter the water and have it priced appropriately. Sadly, you can only reach so many people with education and awareness. For any major change, you have to hit people in the pocketbook. But that's not coming anytime soon, so in the meantime I ask you to please do what you can. Finally enjoy full water pressure and fix the pipe, replace old gurglers with low-flow appliances, look into rain barrels and every time water runs wasted, try seeing it for what it truly is - an unnecessary tax increase.
For lots of easy things you can do, the district has actually put out a great website with lots of info on the new bylaw, tips on how to work within it, why we need it, and more ways to conserve water. Check it out at squamish.ca/water.
Of course there is much more on the go, but space is limited so I'll end as I always do: with an invitation to sign up for my email newsletter (at bryanraiser.com or email me). It's a glimpse into this nutty job and a reminder that I'm here to listen so drop me a line anytime. That point is huge since this job is all about communication.
