Whereas in the face of climate change and a rapidly increasing population; fresh water for human consumption, agriculture, industry, and ecological needs has become a precious commodity on Vancouver Island and across British Columbia; And whereas there are many different purveyors involved in the supply of drinking water including governments and private companies, as well as many agencies responsible for development planning for the growing population: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate to the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship to provide leadership and functional involvement in the creation and management of consistent regional water supply strategies following the watershed map of the province and divided by regional district, with the aim of ensuring that resilient and sustainable drinking water supplies are in place now and for the future.
Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Watershed security and drinking water source protection are priorities for the provincial government. We recognize that across the province communities are experiencing challenges by being serviced by different water suppliers from different water sources and that there are emerging needs to redistribute water allocation to meet the needs of communities. We also recognize that many communities are dealing with aging infrastructure which not all communities have the funding to maintain. Municipalities and regional districts can apply for grants that support projects related to the development of sustainable community infrastructure through the Infrastructure Planning Grant Program. Eligible projects may be granted up to 10,000 to support development or improvement of long-term comprehensive plans including but not limited to water plans and asset management plans. The Province is also looking at options to support local water security through the Watershed Security Strategy WSS. The WSS willset the foundation for a future Source to Tap Strategy to better protect drinking water sources. While the WSS will take time to develop, there are several existing tools that can be considered to protect drinking water sources, including water objectives and water sustainability plans under the Water Sustainability Act, and drinking water protection plans under the Drinking Water Protection Act. Recognizing the diversity of local area circumstances, regional districts and local governments are encouraged to collaborate with local water providers to clarify needs, explore options and build proposals for a path forward. WLRS is happy to meet to discuss proposals and work with regional districts to define a path to resolving issues of concern. URLs Infrastructure Planning Grant Program: https:www2.gov.bc.cagovcontentgovernmentslocal-governmentsgrants-transf… Watershed Security Strategy: https:engage.gov.bc.cawatershedsecurityprocess