WATER NEWS
Watermatters has terminated business with Berkey Water Systems
March 14th, 2023Watermatters has been selling Berkeys since 2010. Berkey systems have been well loved by our customers for years. It is now time to end our relationship with Berkey due to ongoing ... More »
World Water Day – March 22, 2016
World Water Day happens annually on March 22. Attention to this event increases each year as the endangered state of water and waterways becomes increasingly apparent to the general public. The accelerating impact of climate change, population growth, urban sprawl, industrialization, pollution and over-extraction are apparent everywhere, including in Metro Vancouver.
Mid-winter rains make it easy to forget the drought we experienced here in British Columbia in the summer of 2015. However the consequences of warmer temperatures and diminished snow pack are all around us. Water rationing, at least during summer months, is here to stay even in ‘water-rich’ coastal British Columbia.
Theme for World Water Day 2016 – Better Water, Better Jobs
Water is an essential factor in virtually every aspect of life. Each year the United Nations assigns a specific water related theme to be the focus of World Water Day. For 2016 the theme is ‘Water and Jobs’. Sufficient water, of good quality, is essential to life and livelihoods. Societies and economies are enabled or crushed by the availability and quality of local water.
Some current water issues… in British Columbia
Seven rivers in British Columbia have been identified in 2016 as endangered: the Seymour, Fraser, Cowichan, Thompson, Peace and Skeena Rivers and Shawnigan Creek.
Residents of Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island are fighting to keep toxic waste out of their watershed.
The Peace River Valley in northeastern BC is in danger of being submerged if the Site C dam project is allowed to reach completion.
British Columbia has a new Water Sustainability Act. So far it lacks the teeth to ensure sustainability.
In Canada
Shockingly, more than 1,000 boil-water advisories are in place across Canada. Some of these water advisories have been in effect for decades resulting in third world living conditions for residents of these communities. Indigenous communities are those most commonly subjected to this appalling neglect.
Globally
February 2016 was the warmest ever on record.
Arctic sea ice disappeared a record rates in January and February 2016 which will impact water temperatures and availability around the world.
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