Many here on the Wet Coast take water for granted. After all it’s constantly falling on our heads! But today Michael rose to draw attenntion to the fact that clean, safe and accessible drinking water is a precious commodity that we need to protect.
Below is the draft Hansard of his statement and as always the official version will be posted when available.
2010 Legislative Session: Second Session, 39th Parliament
HOUSE BLUES
This is a DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY of debate in one sitting of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. This transcript is subject to corrections, and will be replaced by the final, official Hansard report. Use of this transcript, other than in the legislative precinct, is not protected by parliamentary privilege, and public attribution of any of the debate as transcribed here could entail legal liability.
DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
(HANSARD)
HOUSE BLUES
MONDAY, MAY 3, 2010
Afternoon Sitting
HSE – 20100503 PM 001/JAG/1330
MONDAY, MAY 3, 2010
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PROTECTION OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
M. Sather: May 2 to 8 is Drinking Water Week. In the words of the B.C. Water and Waste Association: “A safe, reliable water supply is critical to the success of a community. It creates jobs, attracts industry and investment, and provides for the health and welfare of citizens in ways ranging from disease prevention to fire suppression. Water is a limited resource that must be protected and conserved.” [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I believe that drinking water will be a greater concern than declining fossil fuels in the coming decades. Drinking water resources are under threat in North America and in British Columbia. Oversubscription to groundwater has led to dropping water tables, particularly south of the border. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We have problems with water shortages in the dry interior and even on the coast from time to time. Boil water advisories in the province are not uncommon. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
British Columbians have concerns about the direct and indirect uses of potable water. Water allocation and stream health is widely recognized as a significant issue in the province. British Columbians also have questions about the steep increase in water licence applications by resource companies. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Many are concerned about the explosion in the use of bottled water which requires a lot of petroleum resources to produce and oftentimes has no health advantage over tap water. Millions of water bottles end up in our landfills or will be incinerated. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
There are many things we can do to conserve water: water your lawn less or not at all, reduce or eliminate washing your driveway, take shorter showers, check your toilets and faucets for leaks, turn off the water while brushing your teeth, purchase water-efficient appliances, install low-flow showers and toilets and wash your car with a bucket instead of a hose. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Let’s all do our part to protect and conserve our drinking water. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
