B.C.’s drought woes could be helped by monitoring and raising cost of water for companies, critics say

B.C. charges some of the lowest rates in the country to extract fresh water and doesn’t monitor how much is being taken, exacerbating drought conditions, say experts critical of the province’s approach.

Apart from BC Hydro and oil and gas companies, licensees must apply for a certain amount of water but the government never verifies how much they are actually using, according to Dr. Alila and other experts. “Water pricing has a significant influence on how water gets viewed and used and how it is consumed,” said Zafar Adeel, acting director of Simon Fraser University’s School of Sustainable Energy Engineering. “Discussion on water pricing tends to be highly politicized and most politicians tend to avoid getting into any conversation around pricing because there is a natural negative response from various interests.

In response to the criticism, the provincial Ministry of Forests, which oversees the regulation and enforcement of these water licences, says it is actively monitoring watersheds, streams and aquifers across B.C. as it urges people and businesses to reduce their water usage. But, in a statement sent by spokesperson Nigel McInnis, the ministry declined to say how it knows whether the 46,921 licensees are using specific amounts they were approved to take during set periods.

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