bc’s new water sustainability act pat lapcevic, water protection section head west coast region...
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BC’s NewWater Sustainability Act
Pat Lapcevic, Water Protection Section HeadWest Coast Region
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Operations
Salt Spring Water Council May 23, 2014
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Clean and Abundant Water is Essential• Public health and well-being• Thriving communities, a
growing population• Healthy ecosystems and fish
populations• Food production and nutrition• Strong diverse economy
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Our Water is Under Pressure
• Naturally flow sensitive areas
• Population growthand urbanization
• Climate change• Existing Water allocation
restrictions • Competing demands
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Legislative Framework For Water in BC
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Seven Water Policy Themes:1. Protect Stream Health and Aquatic
Environments2. Consider Water in Land Use Decisions3. Regulate Groundwater Use4. Regulate During Scarcity5. Improve Security, Water Use
Efficiency, Conservation6. Measure and Report7. Enable a Range of Governance
Approaches
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1. Protect Stream Health and Aquatic Environments
• Consider environmental flow needs in new water allocation decisions
• For existing licences, temporary restrictions to protect critical environmental flow needs
• Expand prohibitions on dumping debris into streams and aquifers
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2. Consider Water in
Land Use Decisions• Consider water objectives in
resource and land use decisions
• Develop water sustainability plans
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3. Regulate and protect groundwater use
• Manage surface and groundwater as single resource
• Most uses will be licensed; fees and annual rentals
• Domestic uses excluded• Date of first use would guide priority
date• Improve understanding of aquifers
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4. Regulating water use during scarcity
• All users could be regulated during scarcity – including groundwater
• Retain FITFIR with exceptions• Ensure water supply for essential
human and livestock needs• Allow temporary restrictions to
protect critical environmental flows• Retain Section 9 of Fish Protection
Act
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5. Improving security, water use
efficiency and conservation• Expand beneficial use requirement
• Set water conservation targets and carry out audits
• Make water licences reviewable• Allow area-based regulation for specific
regions• Enable creation of agricultural water
reserves
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6. Measuring and Reporting Water Use• Require large volume users to
measure, record and report water use• Smaller volume users to measure in
specific circumstances under “area-based” regulations
• WSA would not require mandatory meters in households
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7. Enable a Range of Governance
Approaches• Increase flexibility in governance arrangements to better suit local needs
• Allow for delegation of some activities or decisions to agencies outside of government
• Support the creation of advisory groups• Clear and consistent provincial framework
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Key Implications for Users• Licensing of non-domestic groundwater
use• Requirements for measuring and
reporting• Increased information requirements for
new applicants, e.g., where there are water supply issues
• Potential for more regulation to protect environmental flow needs
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Land and Water C0nnections in WSA
• Water Objectives• Agricultural Water Reserves• Water Sustainability Plans• Area-based Regulations
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Water Fees and Rentals
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Steps after Royal Assent2014/15:• Continue delivery in accordance with current Water
Act and regulations• Update water fees and rentals regulation Develop
WSA supporting policies and regulations• Development of IM/IT system to support
groundwater licensing 2015/16:• WSA and key regulations come into force
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• 3150 written submissions• 13,000 visits to blog/website• Bilateral meetings, presentations
Engaging British Columbians
All documents & submissions available at: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/watersustainabilityact/