Articles
General · 5th April 2009
TOAST TO TAPWATER - 2009
World Water Day 2009 Toast to Tapwater -
View BC Daily Buzz Video
Introduction
Susan: My name is Susan Draper, standing beside me is Terry Huntington, and on behalf of the Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition, we’d like to welcome you to a “Toast to Tapwater”, an opportunity for all those who think that Greater Victoria enjoys the best water on tap in the country- to lift their glasses of cool, clear water and say- cheers for public water! I’d like to acknowledge at this time the people of the Songhees nation, on whose traditional lands we stand today, and who have always respected the gift that is water.
And Terry, when it comes to our tap water, do you know how fortunate we are here in the CRD? Unlike many sources of drinking water on Vancouver Island, our watershed is pristine; nobody lives on it and there is no industry. Commercial logging is no longer allowed around the Sooke Lake Reservoir, thanks to the efforts of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee and the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt Society during the 1990s. Let’s give a hand to those activists and politicians who worked together to achieve this kind of protection for future generations of tap water drinkers in the CRD!
Judging by all the bottled water products available for purchase in our grocery stores, there are still a few people who think that bottled water is better than tap water. But me - I'll take CRD tap water any day. When I drink a glass of this water, I know exactly what I’m getting. I’m confident in its quality and I know that it is regularly tested for safety and purity. And by drinking tap water, I’m also reducing my impact on climate change, because the manufacture and transport of bottled water creates a lot of greenhouse gas emissions.
On the other hand, if you drink this stuff - bottled water - do you ever really know what you’re drinking? A lot of these companies just bottle filtered tap water! And what about all that plastic waste? Between 40 and 80 per cent of those bottles end up in the local landfill. That’s a burden on the environment and on local taxpayers – and those are just two of the reasons that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recently voted to discourage bottled water in municipal buildings across Canada.
Then, of course, there’s the issue of unregulated groundwater pumping. Under current legislation, bottled water companies can pump almost 1000 gallons per minute without public oversight to monitor for compliance. Prior to setting up shop, a Provincial Environmental Assessment isn’t even required by these water bottlers. How can domestic users of groundwater be confident that there will be an adequate supply for their needs too, especially as the impacts of climate change on groundwater are still not clear?
The fact is bottled water costs the earth, not to mention your pocket book. Drinking CRD tap water can save you hundreds of dollars each year, and the pittance you'll pay for it will help to maintain one of the finest water systems in Canada.
Terry: You’re right Susan. Safe, clean and great-tasting, at about 0.14 cents a liter, this glass of public water is a bargain. Part of that low cost is built into the system, with an almost perfectly shaped reservoir providing water so clear that it requires only disinfection. Costly filtering - the bane of many water systems - isn't necessary for CRD water. Pumping costs - often an expensive part of treatment and distribution - are minimal because the reservoir's elevation creates "gravity pressure" as the water flows downhill.
And what do we get for 0.14 cents a liter? The fees for public water are plowed right back into the system for things like infrastructure, maintenance, disinfection, forest stewardship, fire prevention, water quality testing and training/certification of staff. Public operators of water systems freely and regularly share information, so our system can benefit from the knowledge of experts from other regions - an arrangement known as "public-public partnerships.” Now that’s the kind of partnership I can support!
So, what do you think - is public drinking water in the CRD a bargain?
But just because our public water is cheap, doesn’t mean we should waste it. Believe it or not, we live in a sub Mediterranean climate – wet in the winter and dry in the summer. Most of the water that comes out of our taps in the summer is stored in the Sooke Reservoir during the winter, so conservation is important during our dry summer months. I’d like to take it further however and suggest that conservation needs to become the way we live in the CRD all year round. Climate experts have been telling us for years that climate change is real and it’s now happening a lot faster than first predicted. We need to adopt a conserving attitude about all the earth’s resources, but especially in regards to water, upon which all life depends.
Susan: And Terry, for all of us who are counting our pennies and trying to conserve our financial resources in difficult economic times, here’s another reason for conserving water. In some CRD municipalities there is already a surcharge – based on how much water you use – to help pay for sewage treatment. More than ever before, it makes sense to use water wisely, because the less water you use, the more you save in sewage surcharges. The CRD’s website is a great source of water-saving tips for homes and gardens, like using rainwater – instead of treated drinking water – for your garden.
How many people here today rely on Mother Nature to water their lawns in the summer? Who needs a green lawn - I’m going for the gold!
At this point, I’d like to invite Janet Gray to come forward and acknowledge a few people who are with us today because they love water and are working on our behalf to defend, protect and conserve it.
Janet: (acknowledge those in “crowd”)
Letter of support from MP Denise Savoie announced.
(In attendance were: BC Green Party Jane Sterk; NDP Environment Critic, Shane Simpson; NDP MLA David Cubberly; also Jessica Vanderveen, NDP candidate Oak Bay/Gordon Head; and Adam Saab, Green candidate Victoria)
I know you’re probably getting thirsty and itching to raise your glasses for our toast, but before we do, I have the privilege of introducing you to a person who over the last 12 months has demonstrated a commitment to public drinking water that goes beyond the ordinary. He is the recipient of this year’s Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition “World Water Day Award.” World Water Day was actually yesterday, March 22nd, but we’ve decided to observe it today, on the steps of the Legislative Buildings, where so many important decisions about this precious resource are made on our behalf.
Today is about celebrating water and the people who love it, so at this time, I’d like to invite Mr. Bill Goers to come forward now to receive the fourth annual World Water Day Award.
Bill Goers, is receiving this award in recognition of his leadership on Fernwood's Springridge Community Well Project, an historic water source and one of the first water sources in BC to be protected by provincial law as a critical public resource. This well was unveiled in Stevenson Park last September by His Honour, the Honourable Steven L. Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
Bill was Fernwood's point man on this project, coordinating meetings between the well committee and Victoria Emergency Preparedness officers, as it was hoped that the water in the well could be used by the community as an emergency water supply.
The committee put together a budget and after researching the effects of earthquakes on wells, they were pleased to discover that most wells handle earthquakes exceptionally well.
But Springridge Community Well is more than an emergency source of water- it is a symbol of community and what a community can achieve when it works together for a common cause. The well is the centerpiece of improvements to the Stevenson Park by the Fernwood Parks Upgrade Committee, which is a partnership between the City of Victoria, Fernwood Community Association (FCA), Fernwood Community Centre Society (FCCS), the city’s Parks Department, as well as individual residents.
Donations from local businesses contributed to the success of this project; but it was Bill who coordinated and kept everyone drinking from the same well, as it were.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Bill Goers.
Bill receives award and replies
"Thank you Water Watch Coalition for this honour. Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped to realize the Community Well. The thanks really goes back 150 years when Vancouver Island was a Crown Colony. In 1858 in the House of Assembly for the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island, Governor James Douglas (later Sir James Douglas), declared the Springs as Public Domain. So thank you Sir James Douglas!
In 1866 when the Act of Union between the Crown Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, between the Hudson's Bay Company and The Crown was signed, all of the land of Vancouver Island was conveyed to become part of British Columbia, "...except for one well, set apart, for public use..." This is the Community Well.
Recently the Fernwood Community Association passed the following motion: "The Fernwood Community Association supports and commends the United Nations for its assertion that useable water is a public right, and for its appointment of Canadian, Maude Barlow, an advocate for Public Water, as senior advisor for water issues."
We are proud of the UN and for Canadians who support Public Water.
(to) PUBLIC WATER!
World Water Day 2009 – Toast to Public Water
Susan: Let us prepare to lift our glasses- if you need a cup of water, there is some provided. Are we all ready? OK, let’s do it:
In recognition of World Water Day 2009 I’d like to propose a toast, to the municipal tap water we’re drinking here today, as well as to public water systems across Canada and around the world.
Please raise your glasses !
---
With this toast, I choose to drink public water over purchasing bottled water.
I choose to drink from the tap because public water is clean, accessible and tastes great!
I choose to drink from the tap because bottled water undermines public water systems.
I choose to drink from the tap because bottled water costs more, is much less regulated, consumes more energy and releases more harmful toxins into the environment than tap water.
-----
Janet Too many people in Canada and around the world do not have access to safe drinking water:
Because 1.1 billion people around the world are denied access to clean water….
Because many First Nations communities do not have access to safe drinking water across Canada….
Because Canadian water fountains are being decommissioned and new ones are not being built…
------
Terry: I therefore choose to drink from the tap to demonstrate my commitment to public water as a human right.
We raise our glasses to public water and the back-to-the-tap movement.
( all 3 say together) To tap water for all!
Susan: Thanks everyone for joining us today, and as you finish drinking your Adam’s ale, here’s a special drinking song written for this occasion. You might recognize the tune…
It’s based on the 1948 version of the song “Cool Water” by The Sons of the Pioneers and we’re going to ask Sharon Hazelton to lead us. Join in the chorus, if you wish.
All day we use without a care
Precious drops of water
COOL CLEAR WATER
We brush we flush we cook we clean
We waste a lot of water,(WATER)
COOL CLEAR WATER
Oh water is for all
For creatures great and small
And it’s precious everywhere
So we got to show we care
For water, (WATER)
COOL CLEAR WATER
Oh people can’t you see it’s up to you and me
To honour, to protect
and conserve our sacred gift of water
COOL CLEAR WATER
COOL CLEAR WATER!!
STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE of Commons on World Water Day, Bill Goers and the Fernwood Community Well Project
by Denise Savoie, Victoria MP, 24 Mar '09
Ms. Denise Savoie (Victoria, NDP): Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate Bill Goers, recipient of the fourth Annual World Water Day Award. Bill was recognized at Victoria's Toast to Tapwater event for bringing back to life Fernwood's Springridge Community Well, one of the first public springs to be protected in B.C. in the 1800s.
Through this toast to public water Bill and the Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition want government to understand that public water is critical to our collective future.
They ask that the federal government show leadership on the global stage and recognize water as a human right, that Ottawa address the lack of clean water in First Nations communities, wanton waste of water in tar sands development, unsustainable escalation of the bottled water industry and the alarming pressure for privatization of our dwindling fresh water resources."
Editor's Note: Since the dedication of the well, the Fernwood Community Association passed the following motion:
"The Fernwood Community Association supports and commends the United Nation for is assertion that useable water is a public right, and for its appointment of Canadian, Maude Barlow, an advocate for Public Water, as senior advisor for water issues."
We are proud of the UN and its initiative for non commodified public water, and for recognizing a Canadian as the best person to carry this agenda forward.
We invite and encourage all of our Neighborhood Associations to pass similar motions.
Our intention is that our city council will, with the encouragement of the Neighborhood Associations, pass this motion as well."
Editor's note: On March 31st, 2009 the Board of the Vic West Community Association passed the "Fernwood motion."
View BC Daily Buzz Video
Introduction
Susan: My name is Susan Draper, standing beside me is Terry Huntington, and on behalf of the Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition, we’d like to welcome you to a “Toast to Tapwater”, an opportunity for all those who think that Greater Victoria enjoys the best water on tap in the country- to lift their glasses of cool, clear water and say- cheers for public water! I’d like to acknowledge at this time the people of the Songhees nation, on whose traditional lands we stand today, and who have always respected the gift that is water.
And Terry, when it comes to our tap water, do you know how fortunate we are here in the CRD? Unlike many sources of drinking water on Vancouver Island, our watershed is pristine; nobody lives on it and there is no industry. Commercial logging is no longer allowed around the Sooke Lake Reservoir, thanks to the efforts of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee and the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt Society during the 1990s. Let’s give a hand to those activists and politicians who worked together to achieve this kind of protection for future generations of tap water drinkers in the CRD!
Judging by all the bottled water products available for purchase in our grocery stores, there are still a few people who think that bottled water is better than tap water. But me - I'll take CRD tap water any day. When I drink a glass of this water, I know exactly what I’m getting. I’m confident in its quality and I know that it is regularly tested for safety and purity. And by drinking tap water, I’m also reducing my impact on climate change, because the manufacture and transport of bottled water creates a lot of greenhouse gas emissions.
On the other hand, if you drink this stuff - bottled water - do you ever really know what you’re drinking? A lot of these companies just bottle filtered tap water! And what about all that plastic waste? Between 40 and 80 per cent of those bottles end up in the local landfill. That’s a burden on the environment and on local taxpayers – and those are just two of the reasons that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recently voted to discourage bottled water in municipal buildings across Canada.
Then, of course, there’s the issue of unregulated groundwater pumping. Under current legislation, bottled water companies can pump almost 1000 gallons per minute without public oversight to monitor for compliance. Prior to setting up shop, a Provincial Environmental Assessment isn’t even required by these water bottlers. How can domestic users of groundwater be confident that there will be an adequate supply for their needs too, especially as the impacts of climate change on groundwater are still not clear?
The fact is bottled water costs the earth, not to mention your pocket book. Drinking CRD tap water can save you hundreds of dollars each year, and the pittance you'll pay for it will help to maintain one of the finest water systems in Canada.
Terry: You’re right Susan. Safe, clean and great-tasting, at about 0.14 cents a liter, this glass of public water is a bargain. Part of that low cost is built into the system, with an almost perfectly shaped reservoir providing water so clear that it requires only disinfection. Costly filtering - the bane of many water systems - isn't necessary for CRD water. Pumping costs - often an expensive part of treatment and distribution - are minimal because the reservoir's elevation creates "gravity pressure" as the water flows downhill.
And what do we get for 0.14 cents a liter? The fees for public water are plowed right back into the system for things like infrastructure, maintenance, disinfection, forest stewardship, fire prevention, water quality testing and training/certification of staff. Public operators of water systems freely and regularly share information, so our system can benefit from the knowledge of experts from other regions - an arrangement known as "public-public partnerships.” Now that’s the kind of partnership I can support!
So, what do you think - is public drinking water in the CRD a bargain?
But just because our public water is cheap, doesn’t mean we should waste it. Believe it or not, we live in a sub Mediterranean climate – wet in the winter and dry in the summer. Most of the water that comes out of our taps in the summer is stored in the Sooke Reservoir during the winter, so conservation is important during our dry summer months. I’d like to take it further however and suggest that conservation needs to become the way we live in the CRD all year round. Climate experts have been telling us for years that climate change is real and it’s now happening a lot faster than first predicted. We need to adopt a conserving attitude about all the earth’s resources, but especially in regards to water, upon which all life depends.
Susan: And Terry, for all of us who are counting our pennies and trying to conserve our financial resources in difficult economic times, here’s another reason for conserving water. In some CRD municipalities there is already a surcharge – based on how much water you use – to help pay for sewage treatment. More than ever before, it makes sense to use water wisely, because the less water you use, the more you save in sewage surcharges. The CRD’s website is a great source of water-saving tips for homes and gardens, like using rainwater – instead of treated drinking water – for your garden.
How many people here today rely on Mother Nature to water their lawns in the summer? Who needs a green lawn - I’m going for the gold!
At this point, I’d like to invite Janet Gray to come forward and acknowledge a few people who are with us today because they love water and are working on our behalf to defend, protect and conserve it.
Janet: (acknowledge those in “crowd”)
Letter of support from MP Denise Savoie announced.
(In attendance were: BC Green Party Jane Sterk; NDP Environment Critic, Shane Simpson; NDP MLA David Cubberly; also Jessica Vanderveen, NDP candidate Oak Bay/Gordon Head; and Adam Saab, Green candidate Victoria)
I know you’re probably getting thirsty and itching to raise your glasses for our toast, but before we do, I have the privilege of introducing you to a person who over the last 12 months has demonstrated a commitment to public drinking water that goes beyond the ordinary. He is the recipient of this year’s Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition “World Water Day Award.” World Water Day was actually yesterday, March 22nd, but we’ve decided to observe it today, on the steps of the Legislative Buildings, where so many important decisions about this precious resource are made on our behalf.
Today is about celebrating water and the people who love it, so at this time, I’d like to invite Mr. Bill Goers to come forward now to receive the fourth annual World Water Day Award.
Bill Goers, is receiving this award in recognition of his leadership on Fernwood's Springridge Community Well Project, an historic water source and one of the first water sources in BC to be protected by provincial law as a critical public resource. This well was unveiled in Stevenson Park last September by His Honour, the Honourable Steven L. Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
Bill was Fernwood's point man on this project, coordinating meetings between the well committee and Victoria Emergency Preparedness officers, as it was hoped that the water in the well could be used by the community as an emergency water supply.
The committee put together a budget and after researching the effects of earthquakes on wells, they were pleased to discover that most wells handle earthquakes exceptionally well.
But Springridge Community Well is more than an emergency source of water- it is a symbol of community and what a community can achieve when it works together for a common cause. The well is the centerpiece of improvements to the Stevenson Park by the Fernwood Parks Upgrade Committee, which is a partnership between the City of Victoria, Fernwood Community Association (FCA), Fernwood Community Centre Society (FCCS), the city’s Parks Department, as well as individual residents.
Donations from local businesses contributed to the success of this project; but it was Bill who coordinated and kept everyone drinking from the same well, as it were.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Bill Goers.
Bill receives award and replies
"Thank you Water Watch Coalition for this honour. Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped to realize the Community Well. The thanks really goes back 150 years when Vancouver Island was a Crown Colony. In 1858 in the House of Assembly for the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island, Governor James Douglas (later Sir James Douglas), declared the Springs as Public Domain. So thank you Sir James Douglas!
In 1866 when the Act of Union between the Crown Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, between the Hudson's Bay Company and The Crown was signed, all of the land of Vancouver Island was conveyed to become part of British Columbia, "...except for one well, set apart, for public use..." This is the Community Well.
Recently the Fernwood Community Association passed the following motion: "The Fernwood Community Association supports and commends the United Nations for its assertion that useable water is a public right, and for its appointment of Canadian, Maude Barlow, an advocate for Public Water, as senior advisor for water issues."
We are proud of the UN and for Canadians who support Public Water.
(to) PUBLIC WATER!
World Water Day 2009 – Toast to Public Water
Susan: Let us prepare to lift our glasses- if you need a cup of water, there is some provided. Are we all ready? OK, let’s do it:
In recognition of World Water Day 2009 I’d like to propose a toast, to the municipal tap water we’re drinking here today, as well as to public water systems across Canada and around the world.
Please raise your glasses !
---
With this toast, I choose to drink public water over purchasing bottled water.
I choose to drink from the tap because public water is clean, accessible and tastes great!
I choose to drink from the tap because bottled water undermines public water systems.
I choose to drink from the tap because bottled water costs more, is much less regulated, consumes more energy and releases more harmful toxins into the environment than tap water.
-----
Janet Too many people in Canada and around the world do not have access to safe drinking water:
Because 1.1 billion people around the world are denied access to clean water….
Because many First Nations communities do not have access to safe drinking water across Canada….
Because Canadian water fountains are being decommissioned and new ones are not being built…
------
Terry: I therefore choose to drink from the tap to demonstrate my commitment to public water as a human right.
We raise our glasses to public water and the back-to-the-tap movement.
( all 3 say together) To tap water for all!
Susan: Thanks everyone for joining us today, and as you finish drinking your Adam’s ale, here’s a special drinking song written for this occasion. You might recognize the tune…
It’s based on the 1948 version of the song “Cool Water” by The Sons of the Pioneers and we’re going to ask Sharon Hazelton to lead us. Join in the chorus, if you wish.
All day we use without a care
Precious drops of water
COOL CLEAR WATER
We brush we flush we cook we clean
We waste a lot of water,(WATER)
COOL CLEAR WATER
Oh water is for all
For creatures great and small
And it’s precious everywhere
So we got to show we care
For water, (WATER)
COOL CLEAR WATER
Oh people can’t you see it’s up to you and me
To honour, to protect
and conserve our sacred gift of water
COOL CLEAR WATER
COOL CLEAR WATER!!
STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE of Commons on World Water Day, Bill Goers and the Fernwood Community Well Project
by Denise Savoie, Victoria MP, 24 Mar '09
Ms. Denise Savoie (Victoria, NDP): Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate Bill Goers, recipient of the fourth Annual World Water Day Award. Bill was recognized at Victoria's Toast to Tapwater event for bringing back to life Fernwood's Springridge Community Well, one of the first public springs to be protected in B.C. in the 1800s.
Through this toast to public water Bill and the Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition want government to understand that public water is critical to our collective future.
They ask that the federal government show leadership on the global stage and recognize water as a human right, that Ottawa address the lack of clean water in First Nations communities, wanton waste of water in tar sands development, unsustainable escalation of the bottled water industry and the alarming pressure for privatization of our dwindling fresh water resources."
Editor's Note: Since the dedication of the well, the Fernwood Community Association passed the following motion:
"The Fernwood Community Association supports and commends the United Nation for is assertion that useable water is a public right, and for its appointment of Canadian, Maude Barlow, an advocate for Public Water, as senior advisor for water issues."
We are proud of the UN and its initiative for non commodified public water, and for recognizing a Canadian as the best person to carry this agenda forward.
We invite and encourage all of our Neighborhood Associations to pass similar motions.
Our intention is that our city council will, with the encouragement of the Neighborhood Associations, pass this motion as well."
Editor's note: On March 31st, 2009 the Board of the Vic West Community Association passed the "Fernwood motion."
BC Green Party Leader, Jane Sterk
NDP Environment Critic, Shane Simpson
Jessica Vanderveen, NDP candidate Oak Bay/Gordon Head
Adam Saab, Green candidate Victoria