Groundwater society partnering with RDN for water-use survey
Gabriola Groundwater Management Society (GGMS) is pleased to announce our third Gabriola Domestic Water Use Survey. We are working in partnership with the Regional District of Nanaimo, whose support has made this possible.
The newest survey is a combination of work by GGMS, Vancouver Island University (class of Dr. Allen Gilchrist, Environmental Studies) and RDN staff. It will provide important information on water use for the Gabriola Water Budget Project.
Much like a household budget looks at how much money we make, how much we need and how much we can spend by looking at expenses today and in the future, a water budget looks at how much water is available, how much we return to the natural environment (i.e. through septic systems) and how much we need at different times of the year. The RDN’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program is working with Islands Trust on the Water Budget Project in order to learn more about water on Gabriola to help with land use planning.
The new survey will be better than previous ones because we have divided the island into different sections, color coded, which allow us to identify responses from different areas of Gabriola without detailed information about the property itself. This provides confidentiality for all involved.
The survey will be included as an insert in the Gabriola Sounder and The Flying Shingle and should arrive with the paper at the end of the month.
Drop-off boxes will be provided for filled out questionnaires at Arbutus Building Supply, The Co-op General Store and Gas Station and Coastal Community Credit Union. Extra copies of the survey will be available at these locations.
We extend a big thank you to all involved and hope for an even better return than the last one.