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Rain barrels provide a sustainable water supply
With the reliable rainfall on the Wet Coast, collecting rainwater for household and commercial use hardly seems necessary.
Beyond turning on the tap, most of us in the Fraser Valley don't give water a second thought. But if you rely on a well, or if you use water for manufacturing or farming, water becomes a more precious commodity.
And it's going to become more of an issue for the rest of us, too, as we will be paying more for it, says Dean Barrett who, with brother Lane, runs Abbotsford-based Barr Plastics Ltd.
"In Abbotsford, the average households pays about $100 a year [for water], but that will change," he said.
The company has sold a few rain barrels and collection tanks over the years, but lately the demand is growing. Barrett is ready to supply the cisterns to catch our abundant rain. In the fall, he sold eight rain-harvesting systems to homeowners and is getting more inquiries from home and business owners.
People are looking ahead to save money and the environment, he believes.
"Water may not be a big issue right now, but I think it will be in 10 years," said Barrett.
Barr Plastics has collection and filter systems that divert runoff from eavestroughs to above ground tanks. Rainwater can be used in the garden, for ponds, car washing and toilets. Costs are not prohibitive - a 300-gallon barrel is about $300, while a 3,000 US gallon tank is about $1,500.
As people continue to pour into the Lower Mainland, pressure on municipalities to supply water will increase. Some projections are that 40,000 people a year for next several years will move to the region, meaning they'll need more water, said Barrett.
With average household use of 325 litres (85 gallons) per person a day, that's an additional 13 million litres a year municipalities will have to provide, Barrett points out, not including water for growing and processing the foods and goods they'll consume.
While most Abbotsford homeowners may currently pay a paltry $100 a year for water, that will change, he warns.
"It will come to the point where everyone's water will be metered," said Barrett.
As municipalities turn to water metering, users will be forced to stop squandering water and be more conscious of their water consumption.
Abbotsford and Mission are looking at new water sources, such as Harrison Lake, but pipelines, treatment stations and sewers won't come cheap. The City of Vancouver is installing a $1 billion water treatment system, to be paid through local taxes.
It makes sense for cities, homeowners and businesses to capture water that is free - rain. Barrett cites one client who was paying a $2,000 water bill every month at his Lower Mainland tile manufacturing business. For $30,000, the owner installed two 10,000-gallon tanks and a filtration system.
"He saved $2,000 a month, so his investment was paid for in under two years," said Barrett.
The idea is catching on. A new office tower in Maple Ridge will use rainwater for its toilets, while a steel fabrication shop will capture rain in a 5,000-gallon tank for its manufacturing process.
Thousands of businesses could benefit financially from capturing rainwater, he says, and that could help the environment.
"They're using treated, potable water for processes that don't need it. Just think about the reduction in chemicals alone that end up back in the ecosystem," Barrett said.
