New water-monitoring program could save 1.5 billion litres a year

The B.C. government is rolling out new water meters for homes and businesses soon, which will save 1.5 billion litres of water annually in the province’s rural communities. The government says the move will help small communities cope with drought conditions.

The province’s Rural Communities Minister Brittany Anderson said 15,000 new automated water meters will be installed in 19 small communities, including rural and First Nations areas, to help prevent leakage of drinking water and conserve water. The government will also cover the cost of installing all of these meters.

Anderson said that with this $50-billion investment, we can save 1.5 billion litres of water every year, which is equivalent to one day of drinking water for 750 million people, 37.5 million people bathing or 30 million loads of laundry.