Hi everyone,
I thought I would start a blog about things that interest me, things that I want to find out more about.
For starters, I'm wondering what water consumption and conservation programs people from different areas have.
In my town in Northern British Columba we do not have water meters, and do not pay for our water. Our only water restriction is in July and August. In those months we can only water our lawns every second day. Conservation is encouraged though.
We pay an annual fee of $425 for our water pipes, sewer pipes and treatment plant, and garbage pickup (picked up once a week). There is no limit on the amount of garbage that you can put out. There are no recycling depots within 250 km, other than for bottles.
About 18 years ago my husband and I were in Nevada. We were shocked that water was not automatically brought to each diner in a restaurant. The motion detected hand washing taps were another surprise. The hotel we stayed in encouraged us to hang up our towel and use it the next day (unheard of anywhere else that we have been since - but a good idea).
So, what is it like where you live?
Jan.
-
In total there are 51 users online :: 0 registered, 0 hidden and 51 guests (based on users active over the past 60 minutes)
Most users ever online was 880 on Fri Jun 28, 2024 11:45 am
Things That Interest Me - jales4
Forum rules
Do not promote books in this forum. Instead, promote your books in either Authors: Tell us about your FICTION book! or Authors: Tell us about your NON-FICTION book!.
All other Community Rules apply in this and all other forums.
Do not promote books in this forum. Instead, promote your books in either Authors: Tell us about your FICTION book! or Authors: Tell us about your NON-FICTION book!.
All other Community Rules apply in this and all other forums.
-
Ophelia
-
- Oddly Attracted to Books
- Posts: 1543
- Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:33 am
- 16
- Location: France
- Been thanked: 35 times
Water is a concern here -- I suppose the reason they don't charge much in BC is you have a lot of water.
Here you are charged per cubic metre, and this is a recurrent conversation topics for people who have gardens...or swimming pools.
Like many other things, trouble about water started in the 1970's. There was an exceptionally hot summer in 1976, farmers did not have enough water, many crops were lost and the government responded by creating a special tax for everybody else called "impot secheresse" (drought tax).
People were worried that, as this had now been the case with other good ideas in government, we would now have a drought tax every year, but this didn't happen.
Water prices have increased, and some years we have restrictions in some areas part of the summer, meaning you can't use mechanical devices to water the lawn (but you can water your flowers and vegetables by hand) you're not allowed to wash cars, private swimming pools can no longer be used and most importantly farmers can't water crops -- this is where most of the water usually goes.
It seems that over the years a lot of thinking has gone into regulations concerning agriculture.
Yesterday they explained on the news that this was the time of the year when farmers had to make choices. The water resources from the previous winter are now known (in many regions in France it's below average for 2008) and according to this the local authorities are negociating with farmers: they tell them, before sowing begins, which crops are not advised this summer in that area (usually it's corn), and they advise which wheats will be suitable.
The farmer can then decide to plant corn all the same, but knows there will be no negociating for water in the summer and he can lose his crop.
Back to top
Here you are charged per cubic metre, and this is a recurrent conversation topics for people who have gardens...or swimming pools.
Like many other things, trouble about water started in the 1970's. There was an exceptionally hot summer in 1976, farmers did not have enough water, many crops were lost and the government responded by creating a special tax for everybody else called "impot secheresse" (drought tax).
People were worried that, as this had now been the case with other good ideas in government, we would now have a drought tax every year, but this didn't happen.
Water prices have increased, and some years we have restrictions in some areas part of the summer, meaning you can't use mechanical devices to water the lawn (but you can water your flowers and vegetables by hand) you're not allowed to wash cars, private swimming pools can no longer be used and most importantly farmers can't water crops -- this is where most of the water usually goes.
It seems that over the years a lot of thinking has gone into regulations concerning agriculture.
Yesterday they explained on the news that this was the time of the year when farmers had to make choices. The water resources from the previous winter are now known (in many regions in France it's below average for 2008) and according to this the local authorities are negociating with farmers: they tell them, before sowing begins, which crops are not advised this summer in that area (usually it's corn), and they advise which wheats will be suitable.
The farmer can then decide to plant corn all the same, but knows there will be no negociating for water in the summer and he can lose his crop.
Back to top
Last edited by Ophelia on Thu Feb 14, 2008 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ophelia.
-
DWill
-
- BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
- Posts: 6966
- Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:05 am
- 16
- Location: Luray, Virginia
- Has thanked: 2262 times
- Been thanked: 2470 times
I live outside of the incorporated town of Berryville, where everyone needs to be on a private well (and septic tank). We don't have water restrictions aside from the capacity of our pump and the flow into the storage tank. If I ever leave a hose on accidentally, it won't be long until the tank is depleted and we'll have no water for a few hours. People who have municipal water, in the towns and cities, pay by the gallon, of course, but I don't know how much. I've never heard of water restrictions above the level of a particular water authority for a town or larger metropolitan area. These will mandate usage restrictions in times of drought.
It was interesting to me when I went to Colorado to live in the 70s. Everyone in Denver appeared to have green lawns maintained by daily watering. This is in an arid region where water is piped over from the western slope of the Rockies. In the East, people care much less about green lawns. When rain doesn't arrive, few bother to water and the grass turns brown. I know that when this happen to me, I think, yippee! no mowing for a while. The grass only goes dormant and greens right up when the rain returns.
Will
It was interesting to me when I went to Colorado to live in the 70s. Everyone in Denver appeared to have green lawns maintained by daily watering. This is in an arid region where water is piped over from the western slope of the Rockies. In the East, people care much less about green lawns. When rain doesn't arrive, few bother to water and the grass turns brown. I know that when this happen to me, I think, yippee! no mowing for a while. The grass only goes dormant and greens right up when the rain returns.
Will
Hi Ophelia,
Interesting.
I have heard that some areas of British Columbia are changing the way they landscape by choosing grasses and plants that don't require regular watering.
So far our farmers are doing okay - they hurt during the droughts, but most don't seem to be changing their crops because of it. Irrigation systems are showing up on small farms now though, where it used to only the large, full-time farmers who used it.
JAn.
Interesting.
I have heard that some areas of British Columbia are changing the way they landscape by choosing grasses and plants that don't require regular watering.
So far our farmers are doing okay - they hurt during the droughts, but most don't seem to be changing their crops because of it. Irrigation systems are showing up on small farms now though, where it used to only the large, full-time farmers who used it.
JAn.
-
Ophelia
-
- Oddly Attracted to Books
- Posts: 1543
- Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:33 am
- 16
- Location: France
- Been thanked: 35 times
Jan wrote:
Really, what else should one do with one's towel?
This is one of the things that struck me as so crazy and wasteful when I was in the States. There is a difference between an obsession with cleanliness and being unhygienic. With such standards you use not only water, but washing powder... on the plus side in a consumer society, you buy more washing machines in a lifetime, and more towels.
Is this the way things are done in Canada as well?
Jan , your writing about hanging up a towel to use it the next day brings up memories and thoughts.About 18 years ago my husband and I were in Nevada. We were shocked that water was not automatically brought to each diner in a restaurant. The motion detected hand washing taps were another surprise. The hotel we stayed in encouraged us to hang up our towel and use it the next day (unheard of anywhere else that we have been since - but a good idea).
Really, what else should one do with one's towel?
This is one of the things that struck me as so crazy and wasteful when I was in the States. There is a difference between an obsession with cleanliness and being unhygienic. With such standards you use not only water, but washing powder... on the plus side in a consumer society, you buy more washing machines in a lifetime, and more towels.
Is this the way things are done in Canada as well?
Ophelia.
Hi Will,
You said "where everyone needs to be on a private well (and septic tank)"
Are your wells registered with the government, and tested regularly?
In BC, well owners are being forced to register their wells, and provide information on how many gallons per minute they will produce. There is a huge resistance to registering, as people think the next step will be to tax the wells.
I have heard about people in the US who use some sort of colorant to make their lawn green when it dies from lack of water. I'm with you - less mowing!
Jan.
You said "where everyone needs to be on a private well (and septic tank)"
Are your wells registered with the government, and tested regularly?
In BC, well owners are being forced to register their wells, and provide information on how many gallons per minute they will produce. There is a huge resistance to registering, as people think the next step will be to tax the wells.
I have heard about people in the US who use some sort of colorant to make their lawn green when it dies from lack of water. I'm with you - less mowing!
Jan.
Last edited by jales4 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Ophelia
We ARE a very wasteful society - there are towns that ship their garbage hundreds of miles because all their landfills are full. Waste to haul waste!
A few towns in Canada have just recently banned the use of plastic throwaway shopping bags. Cloth ones are available for $.99 each - but people just don't seem interested in using them.
Jan.
At home, we reuse our towels. Other than in Nevada, I've never been encouraged to reuse my hotel towel.Ophelia wrote:Jan , your writing about hanging up a towel to use it the next day brings up memories and thoughts.
Really, what else should one do with one's towel?
This is one of the things that struck me as so crazy and wasteful when I was in the States.
We ARE a very wasteful society - there are towns that ship their garbage hundreds of miles because all their landfills are full. Waste to haul waste!
A few towns in Canada have just recently banned the use of plastic throwaway shopping bags. Cloth ones are available for $.99 each - but people just don't seem interested in using them.
Jan.
