The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has announced a Green Municipal Fund (GMF) grant for the Village of Pemberton, British Colombia. The Village has used the $80,000 grant to conduct a multifaceted study relating to water security and the sustainable management of the Village’s potable water resources.
The Village of Pemberton’s ability to meet the water needs of its residents and industrial-commercial sector is under pressure from rapid population growth, a single-well water resource, and historical data indicating that the Village’s per-capita water use is nearly double the national average.
To better manage its water resource, the Village has undertaken a thorough study of water loss, water conservation measures, and the identification of new municipal water resources. One facet of the study detected leaks within the Village watermains. These leaks were subsequently repaired and inaccurate water meters were repaired or replaced.
To promote water conservation, the Village conducted a cost-benefit analysis of a water-metering program that would see a 10-20 per cent reduction in water use. A geotechnical analysis identified secondary groundwater supplies to create redundancy in the system. Additionally, to address issues relating to water quality, new water treatment and conditioning systems have been identified and planned.
“With the recent water loss study, cost-benefit analysis for water metering, and the location and drilling of secondary wells, we can have security that our community will not outgrow our available water resources,” said Village of Pemberton Mayor, Jordan Sturdy.
