August 2007
August 29th, 2007
Autumn is nearly here. BCWWA is not unlike most organizations that gear down, to a certain extent, over the summer. But soon school will be starting everywhere and since most of us are back at work it is time for school to start again for BCWWA.
BCWWA has courses planned in a variety of locations around the province – on the island, in the interior and farther north. These courses first and foremost help to provide the trained personnel that all of our systems need. The courses also help to provide opportunities for operators to acquire the CEUs that they need to maintain their certification. Remember these offerings and pass on word to your colleagues who might need the information.
BCWWA is also gearing up for expansion of our trainer corps. At the end of September we are holding a Train the Trainer workshop and interested parties are invited to get in touch with our office to find out the details. If you are interested, or know someone who would be an ideal trainer, let them, and us, know.
Plus, we are looking at plans for the future. The Board of Directors and members of the Leadership Council will be meeting over the next few months to review where we are as an organization, and where we are going. And a call for nominations for the Board of Directors has been published in the upcoming Watermark so if you, or someone you know, should be considered for the Board, make sure to call us.
BCWWA is a busy organization with lots happening. Your involvement is welcomed and needed to ensure that we are doing what our members want.
August 22nd, 2007
Water issues come and – infrequently - go. But we sometimes move onto the next, the most noticeable, the one that gets the press. In the process we don’t address issues that need to be addressed, and we are surprised when they come up, again.
In 2001 the Times Colonist newspaper in Victoria published a substantial article about the potential shortages of water as a result of delayed expansion of the Sooke Reservoir. At the same time there was discussion about higher demand, needed restrictions and insufficient storage capacity in other places on the island and around BC. Some things did get done but in many cases the results were more good luck than good management. But some other things did not get dealt with resulting in shortages of water, and closures of entire towns (think Tofino, summer 2006).
BCWWA is not a legislative body. We do not have regulatory authority. But we are a group of industry professionals who can and should pass on the expertise we have to the decision-makers. We have a responsibility to not just watch and react to issues, but to advise and help to prevent these issues from arising. Several BCWWA committees are involved with water management and water use planning around BC. Others are dealing with wastewater, with contaminants, with SCADA systems. I urge all BCWWA members to get involved with one of the groups that can utilize the energy, knowledge and expertise that you have. Call the office at 604.433.4389 to find out more about how to make this happen.
August 15th, 2007
BCWWA deals with water and wastewater issues. But these are not totally separate and unrelated to other environmental issues. Greenhouse gas production is sometimes linked to waste and wastewater treatment facilities. Water quality can be affected by forestry. Agricultural demand for irrigation has impact on water stocks available for residential use. Lack of adequate water supplies can impair tourism. And on and on and on…
While we spend a great deal of time and energy dealing with the close-up issues of water and wastewater, at BCWWA we also spend a significant amount of time connecting with organizations, businesses and individuals whose activities may or may not be directly related to the industry, but definitely have an impact on it.
BCWWA aspires to be the ‘voice of the industry’, not saying all that needs to be said but ensuring that the industry is consulted and heard. In our regular interactions with various government ministries we follow what is happening at a legislative and regulatory level and try to ensure that our members know about it. We work with other organizations both in BC and beyond to expand the knowledge base of our members, and theirs. And we participate in activities of the AWWA (American Water Works Association), the WEF (Water Environment Federation) and the CWWA (Canadian Water and Wastewater Association) that have a beneficial effect on the work being done here in BC and the Yukon.
Our mission statement talks about safeguarding public health and the environment – we do this by working within the industry, and beyond. Because public health and the environment are not just our issues.
August 8th, 2007
One of AWWA’s most timely and eye catching programs promoting the value of tap water was a key feature in the 2007 AWWA Summer Workshop in Colorado Springs. The program, ‘Only Tap Water Delivers’, focuses on the benefits, and value, of a service that most of us ignore on a regular basis. In a recent New York Times editorial entitled ‘In praise of tap water’ yet another source pointed out the need to recognize and celebrate this tremendous resource. And a number of municipalities in the United States are actually banning the use of bottled water within their municipal departments and agencies. Why the interest in water, of all things?
Because in North America we have some of the most pristine water in the world, so why are we drinking something else? Because our utilities need ongoing support to be able to continue to provide this product to our entire society, and if we don’t support it now the cost of a bottle of water is only going to get higher. Because while the water is good for us, the environmental impact of the bottles that the commercial stuff comes in is not good for anyone.
Our biggest challenge is to get ordinary consumers (maybe even you) to realize that they can save money, and help save the planet, by turning on the tap.
