The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) will provide $21,050 in grant funding for two water conservation projects—the Water Ambassador Program and the creation of a draft Regional Water Use and Conservation Bylaw—for the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).
“We’re very pleased to see the OBWB’s support for two of our water conservation projects,” said RDOS engineer Liisa Bloomfield. “The regional district is committed to building and sustaining an environmentally responsible community, a vision it shares with the water board.”
The Water Ambassador Program focuses on water conservation through a community-based, education-oriented model. The program assists residents with local sprinkling restrictions, engages the agricultural sector in discussing water use, participates in workshops, and addresses emerging conservation issues.
“With ‘on the ground patrolling,’ our Water Ambassador is able to observe behaviours first hand, assist with beneficial modifications, and look at what steps can be taken in the future to continue water conservation habits,” Bloomfield said.
The creation of the bylaw, meanwhile, will help unify water standards across the region, including providing for consistent regulations for water conservation and water use planning, integration of drought management, and cross connection control.
