We’ve got water on the brain today.
Water quality, to be more precise. That’s because the city of Montreal was hit recently thanks to a boil water advisory that affected about 1.3 million residents – the worst such advisory in the city’s history.
Apparently routine maintenance went terribly wrong at the city’s biggest water filtration plant, leading to heavy sediment in the water. The advisory forced schools to tape shut their water fountains and had people putting pots on the stove to cook their water. 
The timing was a little poetic considering we’ve recently finished Drinking Water Week in B.C.
The Province of B.C. has proclaimed the week to raise awareness about where our water comes from, and how we can conserve and protect it.
Of course, that’s our goal 24/7, but we’re glad the province has stepped up to the tap as well.
The Montreal situation just shows how fragile city-run water systems can be. They are subject to a variety of problems. Heavy rains – and we know something about those around here – are commonly responsible for boosting the amount of sediment in our water supply. Even power outages can cause hiccups in the water system, disrupting the flow and leading to occasional bouts of brown water.
If you rely on city water in your area, consider subscribing to a news feed from one of the agencies responsible for water delivery. You can find them on their websites or through social media. They offer regular updates and warnings if there are problems with the water supply.
Even better is to consider having a whole-home water filtration system installed. A carbon filtration system can be installed to cleanse every ounce of water that enters your home so when the water delivery system breaks down you will be protected. These filtration systems remove all forms of sediment, as well as bacteria known to make you sick. They also cleanse the chlorine out of your water, polishing each drop. And that’s not just for your drinking water. The water that washes your clothes, your dishes and your body will be the cleanest water possible.
So during this week, why not think about where your water comes from and consider these facts from our provincial government based on a water attitudes study from 2011. The numbers are pretty startling.
While 78% of residents polled would fix an Internet outage within a few hours or a day, only 50% would fix a leaky faucet within the same timeframe.
The average Canadian uses 274 litres of water a day, but thinks they only use less than 200 litres per day.
British Columbians use an average of 353 litres of water per day, well above the Canadian average of 274 litres.
Nearly 2 in 10 Canadians admit to flushing harmful substances such as medications and drugs down the toilet.
About 26% of Canadians have no idea where the water flowing out of their taps comes from.
So there you have it. According to these stats, some people are uninformed. That’s why we will continue to raise awareness in every way possible.