Team WaterSmart
Here in the Regional District of Nanaimo, we enjoy some of the best water in the world. Maintaining this precious resource requires that we all use water with care. Whether you live in a rural community or an urban setting, what you do today can affect local water quality for years to come.
Visit the Team WaterSmart Get Involved page to stay up-to-date on programs, initiatives, and events.
Indoor Water Conservation Outdoor Water Conservation Business Water Conservation Protect Water Quality Workshops & Events Irrigation Initiatives WellSMART Additional Resources Watershed Education Watering Restrictions Map
Why Conserve Water?
On the 'wet coast' of B.C., it is easy to take our water supply for granted. In dry summer months, water consumption triples, even though there is much less water available. As the region grows, more people will be using the same limited resource. The quantity and quality of our water are directly impacted by human activity including the amount we use daily. It is important that we all do our part to protect our water.
Benefits of Water Conservation
- Meet current water supply demands for drinking, fire protection, and irrigation.
- Avoid or postpone the costs of new infrastructure, including reservoirs, pumping stations and pipelines.
- Save money on water and energy bills.
- Reduce the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) which are produced when treating and moving water and wastewater to and from our homes.
- Ensure water is available and able to support Ecosystem Services (these are benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems such as fish and wildlife, habitat, recreation).
What You Can Do
As a rule of thumb, follow the 3 Rs of Water Conservation: Reduce, Repair, Retrofit
- Retrofit: adapt or replace less water efficient fixtures or appliances with water saving devices.
- Repair: fix those leaks.
- Reduce: make changes to water use habits.
Water Conservation Resources
Water Sustainability in BC
Check out Water Bucket for water sustainability tools and resources. You can also explore their 'communities of interest' such as Rainwater Management, Agriculture & Water and Water-centric Planning.
Water Footprint
Not only do we use and consume water every day for washing and drinking, but the items we use also take volumes of water in their production. Whether it's the coffee we drink or the clothes we wear, everything has a Water Footprint . Calculate your Water Footprint.
Ecosystem Services
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment evaluates our dependence on ecosystems.
Visit Get Involved to keep up to date on Team WaterSmart programs, initiatives, and events! Contact us at watersmart [at] rdn.bc.ca with any questions.
