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News & Initiatives

• Add Your Voice – NO Oil Tankers, NO Enbridge Pipline

  Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

  

  Pipeline Map – thanks to Western Wilderness Committee

  • The Alberta tar sands are the largest environmental disaster of our times.
  • Vancouver (and British Columbia) are being used as the gateway to China and the U.S. for this dirty tar sands oil.
  • Notice the growing number of oil tankers skulking under the Lion’s Gate bridge.
  • Super tankers, 3 times the size of the ill-fated Exxon Valdez, within our city’s waterways, Vancouver’s centrepiece.
  • Plans are under way to triple this tanker traffic going through Vancouver’s busy harbour.
  • This radically increases the odds of an unfathomable environmental accident right on our doorstep.
  • Look at the impact an oil spill would have on your health and our local economy, not to mention the environment.
  • We can STOP this.
  • SPEAK UP for clean energy, clean air, clean water, clean oceans, healthy forests and healthy people.
  • STOP the Enbridge Pipeline and say NO to tankers in Vancouver’s harbour.
  Things you can do…
  • Inform your family, friends and colleagues.
  • Sign the NO TANKERS petition
  • Stop the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.
  • Support the City of Vancouver’s Anti-Tankers Resolution.
  • Support First Nations initiatives to protect our watersheds.
  • Add your signature to 10,000 supporting  ‘Save the Fraser Declaration’.
  • Donate to the Western Wilderness Committee and Lead Now.
  • Watch this inspired event.

    

  
  

  Posted in News & Initiatives, The Future of Water, Vancouver Water

• Did Your Tap Water Change…on April 18?

  Saturday, April 28th, 2012

  If you live or work in Vancouver, western North Vancouver, western Burnaby or Richmond (see map) the answer is probably…Yes.

  Since September 2011, your tap water has been coming from the Seymour Filtration Plant because the Capilano reservoir was closed for the winter season. Winter rains wash excessive dirt and sediment into the Capilano reservoir, making  the water murky and too difficult to disinfect effectively.

  On April 18, 2012, Metro Vancouver put the unfiltered Capilano reservoir back in service. You may have noticed a change in the clarity of your water in the week following this change, as did Metro Vancouver. Heavy rains at the end of April stirred up so much sediment that the Capilano reservoir was temporarily taken back out of service.

  According to an official at Metro Vancouver’s water quality department, a decision is being made on May 7, 2012 about when to re-open the Capilano reservoir for summer use. Turbidity levels of tap water from the 3 reservoirs (Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam) are posted daily on the front page of the Vancouver Sun and on Metro Vancouver’s website.

  What this means for you

  If you receive your tap water from the Capilano reservoir in the summer months (approximately April/May to September), you may notice that your water is not as clear during this period.

  If your water is coming from the Capilano reservoir, the pH of your tap water may drop below 7 to the acidic side of the pH scale.
  Lime is added to water coming from the Seymour reservoir after it passes through the Seymour Filtration Plant. This raises the pH to make tap water slightly alkaline. The reason why Metro Vancouver makes this pH adjustment is because acidic water is corrosive. By making tap water slightly alkaline, water supply lines last longer with fewer leaks. Leaching of heavy metals is also minimized when tap water pH is above 7.

  Impact on water filter performance

  If you use a good quality water filter, you may find that the water flow though your filter slows down more rapidly in the summer months due to elevated sediment levels (turbidity) in your tap water that may clog the filter.  Similarly, shower filters may lose their ability to reduce chlorine more quickly during this summer period. Filter cartridges should be changed if this slow down occurs.

  Future changes to your water

  If you live or work in western Metro Vancouver, you can expect your tap water supply to switch back and forth, seasonally, between Capilano Reservoir and the Seymour Filtration plant until the Twin Tunnels that join these two sources are finally put into service. This is now anticipated to happen in early 2014.

  All tap water in Metro Vancouver is chlorinated

  Chlorine is introduced to all tap water in Metro Vancouver, regardless of whether it comes from the Capilano or Coquitlam reservoirs, or from the Seymour Filtration Plant. The purpose of adding chlorine to our tap water is to disinfect it.

  Posted in News & Initiatives, Vancouver Water

• BC’s Most Endangered Rivers List for 2012

  Monday, March 12th, 2012

  News Release:
  Monday, March 12, 2012

  Sacred Headwaters and Kokish River jointly top BC’s Most Endangered Rivers List for 2012 -
  Kitimat, Peace and Kettle Rivers close behind

  A remote wilderness landscape widely known as “the Sacred Headwaters”, as well as the Kokish River on Vancouver Island have jointly topped British Columbia’s most endangered rivers list for 2012. The accompanying report also outlines several key river issues that must be addressed.

  The Sacred Headwaters is an historic reference used by the Iskut First Nation to describe the area that nurtures the source not only of the Skeena, but also the Nass and Stikine, all great salmon-bearing rivers. Located on the southern edge of BC’s Spatsizi wilderness, the sacred headwaters is home to an abundance of wildlife, including caribou, stone sheep, grizzly bears and wolves; to many, this area is the “Serengeti of Canada” said Mark Angelo, River’s Chair of the Outdoor Recreation Council.

  Yet, the sacred headwaters is also the site of several major industrial developments, the most note-worthy being Shell Canada’s proposal to extract coal bed methane gas, a highly invasive process that would compromise the biological richness of the great rivers that flow from this area. If approved, a maze of wellheads, roads and pipelines would spread across the proponent’s 400,000 hectare tenure. Given the intensity of such development, concerns include the likelihood of altered drainage patterns and increased siltation. Vast amounts of wastewater, high in salts and heavy metals, may also be generated in the extraction process. Current plans call for re-injecting this polluted water back into the ground but this is an untested method that could contaminate groundwater aquifers linked to surface flows.

  While there is a temporary moratorium on coalbed methane development in the sacred headwaters, it is set to expire in December, 2012, at which point development could proceed. “There is widespread support for making this moratorium permanent, which would do much to protect the legacy of the great wild rivers that flow from this area”, said Angelo, who is both an Order of Canada and Order of BC recipient. “The multiple threats confronting this area highlight the need to be more proactive in protecting our great northern salmon rivers”, he added.

  In a tie for the top spot is the Kokish River located on northeastern Vancouver Island about 50 km southeast of Port Hardy. “While just a fraction of the size and scale of the much larger sacred headwaters area, the Kokish illustrates the fact that many small, remote and highly productive streams also face serious risks”, said Angelo.

  In the case of the Kokish, it faces the prospect of a controversial 45 MW independent power project that, in the view of many, would seriously threaten the survival of its salmon runs. “There is particular concern about a rare population of summer-run steelhead, a species that is becoming increasingly rare on Vancouver Island streams”, added Angelo. DFO staff have publicly expressed their concern about the project and the uncertainty to which its impacts can be mitigated. As a result, they have not yet signed off on this project in spite of the Province already approving it.

  While smaller scale power projects can potentially be less harmful than larger ones, they can still do significant damage if located in the wrong place. The Kokish is not an appropriate locale for such a power project in light of its exceptional fisheries values.

  In the next position is the Kitimat River, threatened by industrial development and the proposed northern gateway pipeline. The fact this river is so prominent on this year’s list reflects the widespread concern about the pipeline project that is being expressed by so many locals, first nations and conservation groups.  In the 3rd spot is the Peace River, threatened by the Site C dam, while the Kettle River in the Okanagan appears as number 4. “Current issues along the Kettle River highlight the need to update the Water Act so that fisheries and aquatic ecosystems are adequately considered when making water allocation decisions”, noted Angelo.

  “As one scans this year’s list, the issues and problems outlined are extensive and diverse, ranging from the importance of pro-actively protecting productive salmon rivers to ensuring that adequate water management regulations are in place”, explains Angelo. “The list also helps to create a greater awareness of the various threats that confront our waterways”, he added. “These issues highlight the fact that you cannot separate the health of our fish stocks from the health of our rivers; they are completely inter-dependent”.

  Each year, the Outdoor Recreation Council solicits and reviews nominations for BC’s Most Endangered Rivers from its member groups, which total close to 100,000 members, as well as from the general public and resource managers from across BC.

  For more details, see the endangered rivers backgrounder

  BC’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2012

  1. (tied). Sacred Headwaters of Skeena, Nass and Stikine (coalbed methane, new mines)

  1. (tied) Kokish River (IPP proposal)

  2. Kitimat (industrial development, pipeline proposal)

  3. Peace River (hydro-electric dam proposal)

  4. Kettle River (water extraction, development)

  5. Fraser River, “Heart of the Fraser”(urbanization, industrial development, habitat loss)

  6. Taku River (mining development, road proposal, leachate concerns)

  7. Elk River (development, increasing selenium levels, wildlife migration issues)

  8. Big Silver Creek (IPP proposal)

  9. Coquitlam River (excessive sedimentation, urbanization – some progress evident)

  For more information, please contact: Jeremy McCall, Exec. Dir., ORC, 604-873-5546

  Posted in News & Initiatives, The Future of Water

• March 22, World Water Day 2012 – Events at Emily Carr University

  Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

  Art, dance & poetry at Emily Carr University acknowledge World Water Day.

  WORLD WATER NIGHT
  March 22, 7pm
  Free and open to the public

  Readings by Lee Maracle and Michael Blackstock
  Screening of Samaqan: Water Stories, with Director Jeff Bear
  SB 301 (Theatre)
  Emily Carr University of Art and Design
  Granville Island, Vancouver
  Coast Salish Territories

  
  DOWNSTREAM: A Poetics of Water, a research-creation project
  March 6-14
  Opening March 7, 7pm

  Cultural perspectives shape how people view and interact with water, be it as a commons, a commodity, a resource, a reminder of how all life on the planet is interrelated, the embodiment of spirit– as Dorothy Christian phrases it, and more. What roles do culture and poetics play in supporting a healthy, water-based ecology? The project involves respectfully listening to local, global, and indigenous perspectives on water, and considering what is both spatially and temporally downstream.

  Building toward a workshop at Emily Carr in 2012 around World Water Day, the project will make space for environmentalists, community leaders, elders and academics to dialogue with writers and artists.

  Public events include the following:

  Downstream Art Exhibition: Concourse Gallery, Emily Carr University March 6-14
  Bodies of Water Dance Performance, March 21, Roundhouse Community Centre – with Seonagh Odhiambo, Asava Dance and Angel Luis Figueroa
  World Water Night, March 22, Emily Carr University of Art and Design – readings by Lee Maracle and Michael Blackstock, and screening of Samaqan: Water Stories with Director Jeff Bear

  Posted in News & Initiatives

• Map Details Your Tap Water in Metro Vancouver

  Sunday, January 29th, 2012

  Locate yourself on this map to find out about your tap water.*

  Yellow area – Seymour: your water is coming from the Seymour Filtration Plant and is filtered year round. It is also chlorinated. Details here.

  Purple area – Capilano: from approximately late September through late April your water is coming from the Seymour Filtration Plant and is filtered and chlorinated. Until the tunnels are hooked up to the filtration plant and the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project is completed in its entirety (2013?), during the summer months your water will come from the Capilano reservoir. This water is unfiltered however chlorine is added. Details here are most relevant to you. Certain parts of West Vancouver supplied by Eagle Lake  are the exception. Eagle Lake has its own treatment process.

  Green area – Coquitlam: your water is coming from the Coquitlam reservoir. It is ozonated and then chlorinated before being distributed to your municipality. Plans are underway to add UV (ultra violet) to Coquitlam’s treatment process (preliminary plannning targeted for 2013). Coquitlam’s water is not part of the Seymour-Caplilano Filtration Project.

  *The colour coding referred to in this article is based on this 2006 map supplied courtesy of Metro Vancouver. Delineations are not precise and changes may have occurred since the map was created. To verify the source of your water, contact your municipality’s water quality department.

   

  If you own a home in the Metro Vancouver area and want to control the quality of your tap water with water filters specifically for your local water condtions, read details here and here.
  If you rent your home in Metro Vancouver, find countertop options here and here.

  Posted in News & Initiatives, Vancouver Water, Water Treatment Guide

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