Vancouver city council has voted to investigate the prospect of installing water meters on all of the city’s homes.
Vancouver currently meters water usage in apartment buildings, and requires meters to be installed on all new builds and in renovations.
Most of the city’s residents, however, currently pay a flat rate for water usage. Vancouver city councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung, who proposed the metering motion, said that system does not encourage people to conserve water.
“Once you put those systems in place, people tend to consume less. you’re more aware of what you are actually using,” she said.
“After West Vancouver implemented it, they saw their water (use) decrease by 44 per cent. In Richmond, they saw their water use decrease by 35 per cent.”
Get breaking National news
UBC Sauder School of Business economics professor Werner Antweiler said Vancouver’s lack of water meters is an outlier globally.
While many other cities around the world have had the system in place for decades, British Columbians have historically been blessed with abundant supplies of water.
That’s changing amid climate change and recurring drought conditions, and as our population grows, he said.
“That means we really need to treat water as a scarce resource, one that needs to be managed carefully,” Antweiler said.
“Right now, when there is a flat rate in place, there is no penalty for overusing water. So if you want to fill up your swimming pool three times a day, you could do that in principle.”
According to Metro Vancouver, residents of the region use about 270 litres each per day, a number that surges to about 450 litres when commercial uses are factored in. The region as a whole consumes close to a billion litres daily.
Currently, only a handful of B.C. municipalities have water meters for homes and multi-family buildings, typically in new builds.
Last year, the provincial government earmarked $50 million for water metering pilot projects in 21 communities.
Kirby-Yung framed metering as an affordability measure, arguing that paying attention to water usage would lead to less consumption and lower bills.
She added that reducing water usage will also save taxpayers money by reducing pressure on existing, aging infrastructure that is in line for costly upgrades.
City staff have been directed to come back to council by the end of April with a review of opportunities to speed up water meter installation, timelines, and an analysis of the financial benefits and capital costs of the proposal.
- B.C. grand chief walks back Northern Gateway pipeline support, apologizes for ‘confusion’
- Automakers temporarily offer EV rebates after federal incentive ends early
- When does frostbite become a threat? What to know during the deep freeze
- Canada, it’s cold outside: Here are the provinces facing warnings
