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Jessica Knodel World Water Day is Saturday March 22, 2008

World Water Day? World Water day was born after the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development (UNCED) where five major agreements on global environmental issues were signed. This Saturday (March 22, 2008) is the 16th annual World Water Day, and this entire year is declared as the “International Year of Sanitation” by the UN General Assembly. The earth is 25% land, and 75% water, but only 3% of all that water is freshwater available for drinking… of that 3%, 2% is locked up in glaciers and polar ice, leaving only 1% of all water on earth to be shared by all species (humans, plants, animals) that require water to live. You may know that 1 billion people on earth do not ever have access to clean drinking water, but did you know that 2.6 billion people today still live without proper sanitation!

What exactly is sanitation? Sanitation equals toilets, plumbing, and treated water. Without proper sanitation people have to go to the bathroom wherever they can, and the waste does not get flushed away… it seeps back into the ground, the ground water, and into the bodies of people who may eventually drink that water. Over 1.8 billion people die each year from water-borne diseases and, even in Canada during the 1990’s, more than one-quarter of Canadian municipalities faced threats to the quantity of their water, and even more faced threats to the quality of their water. All water on the planet is interconnected and whatever we spray into the sky, or pour onto the ground, will end up back in our water.

In Canada we are lucky to have clean sanitized water, and proper sanitation. As residents of Williams Lake, we are lucky to already be moving forward with water-saving actions such as water-wise education, xeriscape gardening, waterless urinals, rain barrels, and self-watering planters. Businesses and individuals around town, teachers, students, volunteer groups, the City of Williams Lake, and residents - including you - probably, have all started to make a difference to both the quantity and quality of our water supply. For doing your part in conserving water, the Water Wise program of the CCCS salutes/thanks you all.

This year, as lawn and garden season is just around the corner, make it a resolution to not overwater your lawn or use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Remember that the ground remains moist after the snow melts for several months, and this year we have had a considerable amount of snow. When the surface soil dries, if you dig down deeper you will still find moisture and plants remain stronger if they establish deep roots to access this moisture. Once the ground dries out, grass in our area usually requires only 30 minutes of watering twice a week to stay healthy and green. Once the ground is saturated, grass cannot absorb any more water, so leaving your sprinkler on for longer is literally a complete waste and reduces our City’s supply of drinking water! Step on your grass – if it bounces back up it is not thirsty! Gardeners interested in learning more about gardening with less water can sign up for a Xeriscape Gardening Workshop April 19, 2008 at Thompson Rivers University. Call 250 398-7929 or e-mail Water Wise to register or for more information.

Water Wise is a CCCS Program in partnership with the City of Williams Lake, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Ministry of Environment and local CCCS supporters.

First published in the Williams Lake Tribune
- Jessica Knodel, Water Wise Director, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society

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Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society
Unit 201, 197 2nd Ave North Williams Lake, B.C., V2G 1Z5
Phone/Fax: 250 398-7929 • ccentre@ccconserv.org • Coordinator: Marg Evans

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