New subdivisions should have a dual water system
DEAR EDITOR:
Many experts have pointed out over the past few years that we waste a considerable amount of treated drinking water by using it to flush toilets, water the garden, clean the car, etc.
As our cities expand, the demand for water increases and the treatment plants will need expansion and/or replacement at considerable expense to the city taxpayers.
The blame for this lies with the fact that we have slavishly followed the design for municipal infrastructure initiated by Victorian engineers.
Of course, water treatment plants didn’t exist in their day, so we have tweaked our design to accommodate these new facilities. Experts tell us that it would be far more cost effective in the long run if we built our houses with two water systems; one for treated drinking water and the other for water which has not been subjected to this expensive process.
Penticton has a system for distributing untreated water. We use it to irrigate our parks, sporting fields, etc. People will have noticed signs displayed at public parks warning that the water used by the irrigation system is not suitable for drinking.
So why don’t we use it to allow for any new subdivisions to use drinking water more sparingly?
All that would be required for the developer would be to make an adjustment to the plumbing system in each house to accommodate the dual system. This should not be too onerous a task provided that the design work was done before construction commenced.
The city would have to connect the new subdivision to the untreated water supply which should simply mean adding an additional pipe to the trench built to accommodate water and sewer facilities.
So why doesn’t the city make it a condition of granting the building permit for a new subdivision that all properties in the development be built to double system standard?
The future savings to the city compared to using the current system would be significant. Presently, we have at least two new subdivisions awaiting final approval.
Penticton could become known as “the city which showed the way.” Brian Butler, Penticton