Nominee for the Island's Trust
Group Stewardship Award 2008
Mayne Islanders live on an Island reliant
on groundwater.
WHO WE ARE
Mayne Island Integrated Water Systems Society
is a 100% volunteer non profit Society of concerned citizens,
water purveyors, sister Associations and industry, drawn
from the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, with a mandate
to facilitate, educate and lobby on water conservation,
preservation and protection for the Gulf Islands. Formed
in the 1980s, bringing together only organized water systems
for discussions, sharing supplies and information, MIIWSS
expanded membership capabilities in 2005, inviting individual
well owners, as well as water systems, groundwater organizations
and members of the water industry to participate, regardless
of location.
Integrated Water facilitates educational
forums, articles and outreach programming. All funding
is dedicated to the fulfilling of this mandate, including
lobbying for the betterment of groundwater legislation,
supply delivery, and groundwater protection, focusing
on the Islands.
Our Chairperson, Mary Cooper, won the 2008
Individual Island's Trust Stewardship Award for her work
on our behalf in water conservation, preservation, and
protection on the Gulf Islands.
Membership ($5.00 annually) is open to all
who share concerns about the future of potable water for
Gulf Islands, be they an individual well owner, or a resident
of an organized water system drawing from community wells.
Like minded Associations and industry businesses lend
their expertise to the community with their active participation.
Check the membership link.
WHY WE DO IT
Integrated Water realizes that a viable,
adequate, long term supply of potable drinking water is
vital to island life--human and flora and fauna-- as well
as land values.
The Gulf Islands receive their potable water
primarily from groundwater. Galiano, Mayne and South Pender
Islands are solely reliant on groundwater, while North
Pender and Saturna have small lake reservoirs acting as
groundwater recharge storage basins. There are also a
few homes that supply solely from rainwater collection
systems.
All Gulf Islands experience periods of summer
drought, sometimes lasting as long as five months. Groundwater
recharge occurs from November through to May. It is a
generally accepted rule that it takes two years or more
for rain to filtrate through to benefit an aquifer, depending
on the make-up of that aquifer. Due to the changing nature
of our rainfall patterns and removal of ground cover for
development, much of the heavy rainfall runs off into
the ocean, reducing the benefit to groundwater recharging.
Increasingly the Islands have been the focus
of development and tourism, encouraged by the Provincial
government and rising land values. As property continues
to rollover, new residents to island lifestyle face major
adjustments in learning to cohabitate with finite natural
resources. Integrated Water workshops and articles attempt
to attune our new neighbours and their guests, while reminding
the full time residents, about the advantages of rainwater
collection for exterior use, low consumption appliances,
lovely brown "lawns" that require no summer
care, dusty cars, zerescaping for water free gardening,
and to include water in their recycling plans. Water is
a gift---- a gift to be appreciated only within the household.
An island resource aware resident is a demand
side manager, who adjusts his/her needs to fit the output
of his/her well, and does not push the finite community
aquifers to meet consumption oriented lifestyles.
British Columbia is progressing slowly towards
meeting the standards of other Canadian provinces by having
comprehensive groundwater legislation, equal to the attention
given surface water as a drinking water source. Phase
one of three phases of groundwater legislation has been
enacted, Phase 2 is set for 2008, while Phase 3 is at
the Advisory Panel stage. To that end, Integrated Water
lobbies governments at the local (Islands Trust) and provincial
levels for legislative changes we feel will assist with
protecting our finite groundwater resources for the future.
Check our links to legislation.
Islanders must also consider how to manage
their sewage. With a rare exception, island homes have
individual septic systems. There are growing concerns
about the interface between the aquifers and septic fields
that are not operating efficiently. When conservation
practices are used on the front end of the problem, the
problems at the discharge end are alleviated.
In short, we do it because:
Without water we cannot live
Without water, our land has little
value
Without water, there will be little
flora or fauna
Without water, the Gulf Islands will
become a sad commentary on what could have been had
we cared enough to protect our resources.
WHAT WE DO
Annual Water Workshops, the last Saturday
of April, attracting speakers from across Canada and
the States, for the approximately 130 attendees. Follow
the Water Workshop link for information, past reports,
and March 1, a current registration form
2007/2008, Integrated Water continues to work with
our Southern Gulf Islands Capital Region Director
to enable a low flush toilet rebate program for the
Southern Gulf Islands using the Federal Gas Tax Rebate
funding. While we have unqualified support from the
Island Trust Executive Committee, Local Trust Committees,
Vancouver Island Health Authority, our MP and MLA,
Union of BC Municipalities and residents, we have
not yet received the public support of our BC Minister
of Community Services, and federal Minister of Infrastructure,
both signatories to the original agreement. We thank
all who continue to pressure for a project that would
benefit 4 island communities who are valiantly attempting
to protect and conserve their water supply.
lobbied the Ministry of Environment for legislative
controls for hydrofracturing of wells. Please follow
the Articles link for an explanation of hydrofracturing
and our position.
facilitate workshops for water district trustees
on bylaws and health issues and operator training.
All programming content assists small water system
operators economically acquire Continuing Educational
Units for certification maintenance, thus ensuring
a supply of qualified people for our small water systems.
offer guidance to well owners on well maintenance,
where to get assistance.
Staff 2 interactive booths at our Fall Fair with
one on one consultants for well owners, information
tables and general local knowledge of well issues.
reach our island’s guests and residents with
seasonal water alerts and conservation messages via
our water conservation sign at the mall.
maintain an active and informational website. You
may reach MIIWSS exec. via watersociety@shaw.ca
continue to work with the Local Trust Committee
on water issues, having completed the Official Community
Plan Review and Land Use Bylaw.
monthly articles appear in the Mayneliner, Pender
Post, Saturna Scribbler, Galiano Active Page and other
island papers as issues arise that affect all British
Columbians.
continue with outreach as we carry the message to
other groups.
many short term projects arise in which MIIWSS has
an active participation. i.e. working with university
students on Masters on groundwater and water consumption
studies.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE
We encourage the participation of all Islanders.
It is important to realize that users of community wells
and individual well owners share the same community aquifers,
and to enable an active roll for all, we keep our annual
membership fees at a minimum of $5.00. Check the link to
Memberships for details and forms.
Thank You for Your Time.
Let our informative links guide
you into the wonderful world of water.
