Dear Editor,
As Alfred E. Newman says; ‘What – me, worry?”
Spring brings yardwork and gardens and, for some, pool cleaning. The traditional way of cleaning your pool after a winter of non-use and, perhaps, to deal with leaf and dirt accumulation, is to drain the sucker (witness the streams of water flowing in the streets!) and then fill it with ‘free’ water via your house spigot. Yes, ‘free’ it is, to the pool owner, as we all pay the same annual rate for water whether we use it or abuse it.
But Merritt claims one of the highest water usage rates per capita in B.C. and, because our water is ‘free,’ likely most of us are not as water-conscious as we could be or would be if water was metered. Yes, metering would cost a lot of money, but let’s remember the long-term objective of water conservation and usage reduction. The best way to achieve that is via charging for fair usage. So, if you are a water conserver, you’ll pay very little (likely even less than at present – consult your new utility bill) and those who are profligate will pay through the hose.
For the past several years, all new homes have had to install a water meter (albeit they are not yet activated yet as the city can’t make a decision on metering).
I’m for conserving our precious water, so let’s consider a one-time charge to install a meter in each home and get on with it. Or, perhaps a prudent and effective first step would be to require those properties with any type of pool to immediately install a meter and pay for their water usage accordingly, just as commercial and industrial users do now.
And, if you want to be proactive, let the city know that you’d volunteer to serve on the ill-fated Water Resource Advisory Committee.
Let our water flow, forever.
Darch Oborne
Merritt
