Even the Wet Coast has concerns about water useage
Hands up those of you who are concerned about the ability of the South Okanagan region to keep pace with its increasing water demands.
That seems to include just about everybody.
In a decision handed down last week in B.C. legal circles, there now seems to be a new definition of just exactly whose problem this water issue might be.
Municipalties and the provincial government cannot continue to ignore environmental concerns and make decisions on the false assumption that there is an endless supply of water, stated Randy Christensen, a lawyer with the Sierra Legal Defence Fund working on behalf of a water quality group on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast (Gibsons, Sechelt etc.). The dispute arose over the granting of water licence to a new subdivision surrounding a small lake in the normally water-soaked area.
In granting a license to draw water from this particular lake, the Regional District and the Province of B.C. both argued that they had NO responsibility to consider environmental concerns, effects on water quality nor any obligation to notify lake water users that application had been made.
The B.C. Environmental Appeal Board disagreed. And as it turns out, that Board has the power to shut down that proposed project pending further study and assurances that extensive consideration of impacts on existing water users, water quality and the environment all be taken into account. The Regional District's reckless approach was no longer considered acceptable. The Sierra Defence Fund believes that as demand for water grows, the decision is likely an indication of the type of water disputes that will become increasingly common in B.C.
