748 replies to this topic

[Cassidy]

The current CRD water restrictions all date back to 2002-2003, where we had a drought year, and the draconian Stage 3 water restrictions were put in place that year.

 

Up until 2002 though, we had only experienced voluntary Stage 1 and Stage 2 restrictions, with a couple of mandatory Stage 1 and 2 restrictions in years prior.

But the CRD quite publicly announced that they would perform no enforcement for the mandatory Stage 1 and 2 restrictions prior to 2002, so mandatory restrictions weren't really different from the voluntary restrictions.

 

Since the 2002 Stage 3 restrictions though, the CRD has been in Stage 1 water restrictions non-stop, with Stage 1 restrictions and enforcement every single year to date.

 

The CRD has never really offered residents a detailed explanation of why we're permanently in Stage 1 water restrictions as of May 1st each year, and what changed in years after 2002 such that it appears we'll never again be out of Stage 1 water restrictions. They offer vague references to "buffers against the unknown" and the CRD being able to wait longer before having to invest in additional water infrastructure (which they call "Capital Projects Delay), but they've never addressed the fact that we have plenty of water in the majority of years to push forward with NO water restrictions whatsoever.

 

Of course this is all mitigated by the fact that we have TWO complete reservoir systems, Sooke AND Goldstream ... which makes the water restrictions all that much more unnecessary in years when both reservoirs are full.

 

One can only deduce that the CRD has us in permanent Stage 1 wager restrictions simply because they have to power to do so, and choose to exercise that power without any specific reasons.
It's behaviour quite typical of CRD Water, who seem to crave power in not only completely shutting down most of the Sooke Hills to access, but also in telling 350,000 people where and when they can, and can't use water.

 

All of this in one of the wettest regions of North America. With CRD Water being ultimately not accountable to anybody but the CRD Board of Directors (who they bully around like small children), I don't anticipate any changes soon ... if ever.

[Mike K.]

It's a tool in an anti-development, anti-urban expansion toolbox. When you so tightly control water you tightly control who can build what and where. Our region is extremely small, physically, but that doesn't stop the system from telling us we've over-built and should accept the lack of housing supply, and therefore costs, as our only reality moving forward.

 

If we didn't have the draconian limits imposed on our physical footprint there wouldn't be a housing problem.

[VicHockeyFan]

^ and ^^ EXCELLENT both of you.

[tjv]

The current CRD water restrictions all date back to 2002-2003, where we had a drought year, and the draconian Stage 3 water restrictions were put in place that year.

 

Up until 2002 though, we had only experienced voluntary Stage 1 and Stage 2 restrictions, with a couple of mandatory Stage 1 and 2 restrictions in years prior.

But the CRD quite publicly announced that they would perform no enforcement for the mandatory Stage 1 and 2 restrictions prior to 2002, so mandatory restrictions weren't really different from the voluntary restrictions.

 

Since the 2002 Stage 3 restrictions though, the CRD has been in Stage 1 water restrictions non-stop, with Stage 1 restrictions and enforcement every single year to date.

 

The CRD has never really offered residents a detailed explanation of why we're permanently in Stage 1 water restrictions as of May 1st each year, and what changed in years after 2002 such that it appears we'll never again be out of Stage 1 water restrictions. They offer vague references to "buffers against the unknown" and the CRD being able to wait longer before having to invest in additional water infrastructure (which they call "Capital Projects Delay), but they've never addressed the fact that we have plenty of water in the majority of years to push forward with NO water restrictions whatsoever.

 

Of course this is all mitigated by the fact that we have TWO complete reservoir systems, Sooke AND Goldstream ... which makes the water restrictions all that much more unnecessary in years when both reservoirs are full.

 

One can only deduce that the CRD has us in permanent Stage 1 wager restrictions simply because they have to power to do so, and choose to exercise that power without any specific reasons.
It's behaviour quite typical of CRD Water, who seem to crave power in not only completely shutting down most of the Sooke Hills to access, but also in telling 350,000 people where and when they can, and can't use water.

 

All of this in one of the wettest regions of North America. With CRD Water being ultimately not accountable to anybody but the CRD Board of Directors (who they bully around like small children), I don't anticipate any changes soon ... if ever.

having worked as a Civil Engineer for a large water district (not the CRD) the reason for water restrictions is to limit the infrastructure expansion required.  They will never tell you that, but that is the reason.

 

Just do the math at what it will cost to increase the reservoir heights and install a couple of 60" steel trunk mains into the city, etc.  JS Bridge is chump change

[Nparker]

...the reason for water restrictions is to limit the infrastructure expansion required...Just do the math at what it will cost to increase the reservoir heights and install a couple of 60" steel trunk mains into the city, etc.  JS Bridge is chump change

But delaying the inevitable as the regional population increases saves money?

[tjv]

^you miss my point, of course infrastructure improvements happen, but not to the point that everyone can have lush green lawns with sprinklers going in the middle of the summer in the sunshine where most of the water is being evaporated

 

A simple analogy is increasing public transit and carpool lanes instead of everyone driving in a single occupancy vehicle

[Nparker]

^you miss my point, of course infrastructure improvements happen...

I didn't miss your point. Increasing the size of our watershed is an expensive undertaking. While today such a task might simply allow us to enjoy verdant landscapes year round, if we leave things exactly the way they are now, in another generation population growth may well dictate the need for year-round restrictions just to ensure we can all bathe everyday and have adequate potable water. My point is that we should at least start looking into storing more water than we currently do for future needs. Of course, when it comes to major infrastructure projects in our region, we seem to think kicking them down the road is the most fiscally prudent option.

[Bingo]

Instead of the city conserving water, how about getting some fire hoses onto the hydrants and clean up the streets.    Instead of letting the water run over the spillway on the dam.

[todd]

-Can we at least start watering at 6:00 PM maybe even 5:00 PM instead of 7?? Even in the summer often times it's pretty dim and cool at 6 or 5 PM would be nice to be given the respect to be able to gauge that yourself fungal growth can set in if you water too late in the day.

 

-As well a third day a week to water would be nice, if you have a pet you really need that third day of watering down the lawn, health and safety I think trumps this bylaw restriction.

 

 

Can the VV engineers tell me why that's outrageous?

 

[todd]

Instead of the city conserving water, how about getting some fire hoses onto the hydrants and clean up the streets.    Instead of letting the water run over the spillway on the dam.

 

I hose down the sidewalk out front at least once a month spray towards the street the street sweeper can take it from there, try to hose it down more when the reservoir is full. Nobody's running sweepers over the sidewalks in this town people; do you know where people have been walking? do you know how many people have been spitting hepatitis in front of your house?? I use a fire hose style garden hose nozzle.

 

 

Should be a bylaw similar to the snow shoveling bylaws; must hose down your sidewalk at least once a month. Maybe we could even have a day and time.

Edited by todd, 11 February 2018 - 10:35 PM.

[Freedom57]

Canada needs to build a new city somewhere.  It's not like we don't have enough land or fresh water.  We need to stop trying to cram people into the existing infrastructure. The rest of the world envies us.  We are so rich from a resource point of perspective.

[Mike K.]

The Sooke Lake reservoir has been at 100% capacity, according to the CRD, since late December.

 

I can't even begin to imagine how much rainwater we've spilled over the last 100 days.

[Nparker]

The Sooke Lake reservoir has been at 100% capacity, according to the CRD, since late December...

And mandatory watering restrictions become effective in just over 2 weeks!

 

Stage 1 of the Water Conservation Bylaw Use Schedule is in effect May 1 through September 30, each and every year...

https://www.crd.bc.c...ering-schedules

[VicHockeyFan]

Isn't there a way to dredge the thing to make it a higher capacity?   It really does seem lame we have a protected watershed the size I don't know what, but it has to be the envy of North America*, but then we have a crappy small reservoir, relatively.  

 

*EDIT:  200 sq. km.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 16 April 2018 - 03:29 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

1970 57 billion litre capacity.

2002 expansion to 95 billion

 

It's time for another expansion, why not?

 

I'm no hydrological engineer, but it can't be that hard.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 16 April 2018 - 03:31 PM.

[sebberry]

I wonder how much has been spilled since Jan 1?

[VicHockeyFan]

I wonder how much has been spilled since Jan 1?

 

I phone up and asked one year, it was in the billions.  Maybe like 27 billion, 1/3 of the capacity?  I forget.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 16 April 2018 - 04:34 PM.

[Mike K.]

I believe on average 100 million litres are used every day during the fall and winter/early spring months, which puts us at around 10 billion litres having been used since late December.

Which also means AT LEAST 10 billion litres have been spilled.

In the summer over twice that amount is used per day. So we’ve spilled at least two months of peak summer’s usage worth.

[tjv]

Isn't there a way to dredge the thing to make it a higher capacity?   It really does seem lame we have a protected watershed the size I don't know what, but it has to be the envy of North America*, but then we have a crappy small reservoir, relatively.  

 

*EDIT:  200 sq. km.

Its an earth fill dam, in layman's terms just add more dirt on the dam (ok, its a little more complex than that, but you get the idea)

[VicHockeyFan]

Its an earth fill dam, in layman's terms just add more dirt on the dam (ok, its a little more complex than that, but you get the idea)

 

Right.  So just leave three guys up there with a bulldozer, go back after 6 months and see how they are doing.  Surely that does not cost $100M.