Where on Earth has the Water Gone?

2010-04-22

Canada is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources. With access to about 20 per cent of the earth’s total freshwater, it’s easy for Canadians to assume they have an almost endless supply of clean, fresh water. However, scientists are warning that today’s reality could change drastically with the progression of climate change.

 

In a technical paper on Climate Change and Water, published in June 2008, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—a scientific body established by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), to assess the current state of climate change and its potential consequences—IPCC asserts that “water and its availability and quality will be the main pressures and issues on societies and the environment under climate change.”

The IPCC paper specifies that in North America, climate change will reduce the amount of freshwater available for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and ecological purposes.

Natural Resources Canada (NRC)’s 2004 Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A Canadian Perspective also predicts a reduction in the amount of freshwater available in Canada. The report warns of the possibility of less snow cover in winter through much of the country, saltwater contamination in coastal regions, and overall lower water quality in much of Canada.

“As water supplies diminish, at least seasonally, and water quality problems increase, there would be less high-quality water available for human use,” states the NRC report. “As a result, supply-demand mismatches are expected to become more common, and technological, behavioral and management changes would be required to deal with potential conflicts.”

Those conflicts are also outlined by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) which is currently producing a series of advisory reports, all of which address concerning issues about the economic risks and opportunities for climate change in Canada. One of those reports will focus on the risks and benefits that a warming climate poses to Canada over the next 100 years in terms of water resources and infrastructure.

T. Duncan Ellison, the executive director of the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, and a member of several national and international standards development committees, says Canada’s water infrastructure is already feeling some of the effects of climate change. According to Ellison, the periods of drought in Saskatchewan and Alberta in 2009, show that some changes in water availability due to weather patterns are already occurring.

Faced with drier weather conditions and possible flood zones, Ellison says the conservation of drinking-quality water is one of the most important actions that people and governments can take. While the most common solution cited is for people to use less water, there are some clear limitations to this approach. The example Ellison provides is that industry often uses large amounts of water in cooling machinery because not doing so could cause safety problems and fire hazards. So simply using less water isn’t always a practical solution.

However, there are other possible solutions within the realm of wastewater technology. Some are already in use.

Ellison points out the City of Edmonton is now selling treated wastewater, rather than potable water, to local industries to meet their cooling needs.

“These companies may not be able to get permits to draw more water from the potable water supply, but instead, they’re using water that’s already been used somewhere else and then treated to improve the quality. That saves the higher quality water for drinking.”

Ellison says that treated wastewater can also be used to irrigate cropland and golf courses. As freshwater resources become more strained, he explains, society is more likely to use wastewater even more. This is already happening in Europe and Africa where population demand exceeds freshwater supply.

“In Belgium and Australia there are new regulations that require all newly constructed houses to have a rainwater capture device installed, and to use that water to flush the toilet or water the lawn,” says Ellison. “That is saving upwards of 5,000 litres of water over the course of a year.”

While no such regulations have been introduced yet in Canada, Ellison expects more stringent water conservation policies to be established as climate change becomes more of a reality to Canadians. He anticipates that when regulations of this kind are put in place, they will reference standards that already offer guidance on water use: “Regulators do tend to like using consensus-based standards, because a lot of the work is already done for them,” he adds.

There are many national and international standards focused on water quality with the potential to contribute to public policy. Understanding the value and impact of those standards has been part of Ellison’s rationale for participating in the standards development committees of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Ellison is a member of the Canadian Advisory Committee to ISO’s technical committee for standards on service activities relating to drinking water supply systems and wastewater systems—Quality criteria of the service and performance indicators (CAC-ISO/TC 224)—which has developed three standards. Those standards are designed to help water authorities and their operators achieve a level of quality that best meets the expectations of consumers and the principles of sustainable development.

At the national level, the CSA-developed standard on the design and installation of non-potable water systems in buildings (CAN/CSA-B128.1-06/B128.2-06), has been approved by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as a National Standard of Canada and will be referenced in the upcoming edition of the National Plumbing Code.

Rather than be left wondering “where on earth has the water gone?”, Ellison and other members of Canada’s National Standards System are developing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and contributing to the preservation of one of Canada’s most important resources.

To learn more about how to get involved in standards and conformity assessment committees and programs, visit the "Participate" section of the SCC website.

-30-

Every year, on Earth Day® (April 22), we are reminded to pay attention to many worthy environmental initiatives and activities, with water conservation being one of the many important areas to watch.

Earth Day® is a trademark of Earth Day Canada (1991) Inc., used with the permission of Earth Day Canada (1991) Inc.

Back