| A University of Alberta expert says the province is using water at an unsustainable rate, and without better water management, there could be major conflicts between industries in the near future.
Dr. Bill Donahue says Alberta's booming population is putting more of a demand on water at a time when climate change and the drought are reducing water flows throughout the province.
"We've been pushing it so far, there hasn't necessarily been any question about 'Should we develop to the point where we can develop no more,' or 'Should we develop sustainable systems that give us some insurance,'"
Donahue’s comments come as a new United Nations report details a critical shortage in global supplies of fresh water.
In Alberta, Donahue says, "It's going to be a question of everybody – industry, consumers and government – having to change the way we use water. If we don't, we will be faced with some pretty major conflicts."
Donahue says summer water flows in northern Alberta are down as much as 35 per cent. In southern Alberta, that figure hits 50 per cent in some areas. He also worries that ground water is being tapped more often, even though science hasn't been able to determine how much groundwater exists or how quickly it regenerates.
He says there are already conflicts over water between the agricultural producers and oil and gas companies in central Alberta – two industries that use large amounts of water – and those conflicts will become more common unless the province adapts a more all-encompassing water management strategy.
Dr. James Byrne, the program chair for the Water Resource Institute at the University of Lethbridge, agrees with Donahue's concerns about the future of the water supply.
He says it's possible for the province to make due with current water supplies – he says California, for example, has less water supporting millions more people – but that means moving away from more water-intensive industries.
"I think our utilization of water has far outstripped our population growth," Byrne says.
He is also concerned about declining water quality, something that will be exacerbated by declining supply.
"Our solution to pollution is still dilution. It's become a cliché, but it's true. The city of Calgary still dilutes its effluent," Byrne says. "If water (supply) is in serious decline – 25 to 35 to 45 per cent less – then that is not going to have the same dilution qualities."
Water supplies are a concern in many areas of the world, but Donahue says Albertans have become complacent living under a "myth" that the province is water rich. The province's areas of highest water use are also not located in areas of high supply – the Peace River drainage system in northern Alberta, for example, generates a majority of the province's water, and most of that flows north to areas of low population.
Donahue says solving the problem will mean more water conservation by everyone in the province, and the acceptance the water supply simply can't accommodate continual growth in all industries.
"Most people take 30 minute showers, wash their cars whenever they want and plant Kentucky Bluegrass in a pretty arid area," Donahue says. "In this province, every different (government) ministry… they all mandate for growth. That's simply not realistic." |
Copyright ©2003 FFWD. All rights reserved.