This summer, members of the Water Wise team will be visiting Township of Langley neighbourhoods to ensure residents have the answer to a very important question: do you know where your water comes from?
Water Wise - a program offered by the Township and Langley Environmental Partners Society to bring water conservation education and advice right to people’s doors - aims to educate residents about their water source and hopefully change some wasteful water behaviors, especially in the summer months.
“Roughly half of our water supply comes from local groundwater. The other half is purchased from Metro Vancouver, sourced from the Coquitlam reservoir,” said Water Wise’s Taryn Hesketh. “There are several stations throughout Langley that mix Coquitlam water and groundwater before residential use. It is very cost-efficient for Township residents and we are lucky that we are still able to tap into our local groundwater supply.”
“While we are fortunate to live in an area of water wealth, it has unfortunately caused our water source to be taken for granted,” Hesketh noted. “The average Canadian uses 329 litres of water per day.”
In the hot, dry summer months, water demand rises 50 per cent, due to increases in outdoor water use. It is estimated that one hour of lawn sprinkling may use up to 1,700 litres of water.
In previous years, Water Wise brought its conservation message to a specific neighbourhood each summer. Now that single family homes in all Township communities have been targeted, the program will reach a larger audience by educating people throughout the municipality.
Water Wise Team members will go door to door over the next few months, leaving informational door hangers at single family homes and townhome complexes. Water Wise staff and volunteers can be easily identified by their program T-shirts and will carry identification at all times.
The Water Wise team is also is encouraging residents to participate in a Water Conservation Challenge later this summer. Each participant will be entered to win a rain barrel or $200 in gift certificates from local markets and farms. Check the Township’s website at tol.ca/waterwise in the weeks to come to take part.
To help conserve our water source, Metro Vancouver Stage 1 watering restrictions will be in effect June 1 to September 30. Even numbered addresses are allowed to sprinkle Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. only. Odd numbered addresses are allowed to water only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m.