Although only a few households in Metro Vancouver have a water meter, the political will for mandatory metering is strong, new survey results suggest.
Jordi Honey-Rosés, associate professor in the school of community and regional planning at UBC and Pascal Volker, a master’s student, surveyed elected councillors and mayors in the region and found that 68 per cent support mandatory water metering.
In this Q&A, they explain what their findings could mean for future water conservation in the region.
Why are water meters important?
Pascal Volker: Water meters track household water use and help detect leaks, develop fair rate structures, and promote smart water use. They allow cities to identify consumption habits by different social groups. Municipalities that install water meters tend to consume much less water and can develop policies based on accurate data. In Vancouver, we pride ourselves as being environmentally conscious, and yet we use much more water than most other major cities, even those with comparable climates, like Seattle.
Continue reading at University of British Columbia.
Image via KirkD2009 / Flickr.