Frequently Asked Questions
What is a rainwater catchment system?
A rainwater catchment system typically captures the water from your roof into tanks. The rainwater is then used for non-domestic uses such as pool filling, car washing, plant watering and power washing. The complexity of these systems can vary greatly. The simplest is a rain barrel which is filled from a gutter and then a hose is connected to the tank. More elaborate systems will have an inground sump from which water is pumped to above ground tanks, another pump then draws from the tanks to provide water pressure. With climate change and increased development on the Gulf Islands, it may become necessary in the future to utilize more rainwater collection to supply our water needs for things like toilet flushing and laundry.
How can I conserve water?
Here are a few simple tips:
- Take shorter showers (put an hourglass timer in your shower)
- Replace your shower heads with low-flow fixtures
- Install a hot water on demand recirculation system
- Replace your toilets with low-volume models (or put something in the tank, such as a water bottle, to reduce the water that flushes each time
- Turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving
- Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge so you don’t have to run the tap to get cool water to drink
- Rinse your veggies in a bowl of clean water instead of under the tap.
What are the allowable uses of District water?
Bylaw 127 sets out prohibited uses of District water. These include any use outside the home such as car & boat washing, plant watering, power washing and pool & hot tub filling. Allowable uses are any that are inside the home such has showering, washing clothes and dishes and toilet flushing.
How does the District monitor well water levels?
The District has selected #10 as indicative of the other 6 well levels. The static water level in this well is measured every month and charted. As expected, the levels decline in summer and increase in winter. We are also comparing year over year values.
Why does the District report water usage in Litres when my meter is in Gallons?
Over the years service connection meters have been installed that read in US gallons, Imperial gallons or cubic meters. Also, much of the equipment available is from the US which is always in US gallons. To properly monitor usage and to comply with the Canadian measurement standard, all readings are converted to Litres.
Does the District charge for water by the litre?
No, the District charges a toll for being connected to the water distribution system. This toll covers the cost of running the District operations.
Why doesn’t the District charge according to consumption- user pay? Wouldn’t this encourage conservation?
The trustees have discussed this many times. The problem is user-pay would allow consumers to simply pay for more water and argue that they should be allowed to use the water for non-domestic activities like gardening since they are paying for it. The government regulations do not allow the District to charge onerous rates for water consumption over a basic allocation as a way of “punishing" high users. We do however set limits and objectives. The District contacts consumers that use more than 15,000 L in a month to let them know that they are exceeding our limits and must reduce consumption. Typically, those users are either not complying with the Bylaws, e.g. gardening, or have leaks in their system. CBBID has the right to shut-off or severely restrict water supply to those users that do not comply with the directives. The District has a finite resource, especially in the summer and we need everyone to conserve water to maintain a supply for everyone.
What is the average water use per person in the District?
The district used approx. 5 million liters of water in 2023. There are 140 properties connected to the system but these properties are a mixture of full-time, part-time and seasonal. To estimate usage per person is nearly impossible. However, from the values above, each property uses an average of about 35,000 liters per year or about 3,000 liters per month. We know from meter readings that a 2-person full time household uses 3-4,000 liters per month per person.
Has water usage increased over the last 5 years?
Water usage has not changed significantly in the last 5 years. See below. You can see an increase during the COVID years.
2019 - 4.9 M Liters
2020 - 5.7 M Liters
2021 - 5.3 M Liters
2022 – 5.1 M Liters
2023 – 4.9 M Liters
How are the Tax and Toll values calculated?
Taxes and tolls provide funds for two different purposes for the District. Taxes are used to fund the capital reserve. Tolls are used to fund District operations. The capital reserve fund is available in the case of an expensive repair such as a tank failure or major line break. Operational costs include labour and materials for repair and maintenance, leak detection, utilities, consumables, insurance, administration, meter reading, water sampling.
What is a special assessment?
A special assessment is a one-time method of raising funds for a major project. The District has used this method for raising the necessary funds in the past for such projects as the new feed lines and the installation of the filter system.