With the situation on Vancouver Island elevated to Drought Level 5, has it sunk in yet?
This summer is big trouble for our region as water resources are being tapped out and it’s a long way until the rainy season. Even the light rain forecast for Monday did not materialize and it’s not anticipated there will be any precipitation throughout the rest of July and likely hardly any in August as well.
The reality of many situations is now coming to the forefront.
When rain’s in abundance, we have to start doing something to make the best use of it. That means collecting rain water. There’s no sense having it go to waste. Rain barrels should become a necessity for reuse on a wide scale.
Both the Municipality of North Cowichan and the Cowichan Valley Regional District have climate specialists on staff and there needs to be a collective effort throughout the region for dealing with our so-called new normal.
Just think about all the water that fell during the torrential rainstorm of November 2021. Wouldn’t some of that come in handy now?
That’s the trouble with all these extremes is no one plans for the exact opposite conditions, but it must be done to ensure needs are met during the lean times.
The other big question that should be arising now pertains to all the new home construction going on. Where is all the water coming from to service these units if we don’t currently have enough water?
With many of these being townhouses and apartments, they’re going to be a huge strain on the system. A void is supposedly being filled with affordable housing, but it’s still unclear who’s moving into these buildings.
The homeless are still out there on the streets so it’s not them. If we’re building these units for people who are moving here from the Prairies to retire or for those relocating from the Lower Mainland, then it’s not addressing a local housing shortage and draining our water even further.
We all know water is precious but perhaps it’s only going to start hitting home how precious it is during these frequent droughts and how we need to be more diligent about protecting and preserving what we have.
@chemainusnews
don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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