WC137 JulyAug 2024 - Magazine - Page 25
“A growing number of community leaders
across the country now view drinking stations
as a necessity rather than a luxury.”
as last year, restrictions on lawn watering had to be
imposed, brought about by a less-than-perfect storm
of reduced precipitation and snowpack melt and
two other conspiring factors—hotter weather and
population growth—all of which have contributed to
a rising demand for drinking water.
Unless changes are made, that demand/capacity
gap will only widen in the coming years, with mountain-fed water sources predicted to shrink by as much
as 56 per cent by 2050 while the city’s population is
expected to swell by another million residents.
Against this backdrop, Vancouver now finds itself
doing a balancing act where, on one hand, Becker
said it has embarked on a water management strategy
tied to conservation efforts, introducing real-time
meter reading, which, with associated fees, could
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
help reduce waste; on the other hand, supporting the
health and safety needs of residents, especially during
the hottest months of the year. Ensuring an adequate
supply of drinking water throughout the city “is an
important part of that,” she said, which is why Vancouver is now looking at further funding to increase
the number of its drinking fountains.
Springing up everywhere
Reflecting the growing sense of importance associated
with having ready access to drinking water, in recent
years, announcements from various cities across the
country tied to the installation of new public fountains have begun to trickle in.
Last year Kitchener, Ont., made a splash in local
media with news of a new drinking fountain in the
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