FAQs
- Town's Website www.creston.ca and subscribe to getting News Flashes under the Notify Me section of our website
- Local Radio Station, e.g. 94.1 JUICE FM
- Creston Valley Advance
- Delaying the cost of infrastructure upgrades
- Heating water for home use, impacting your energy bills
- Maintaining the water supply infrastructure
- Treating and disposing of wastewater
- Listen and look for leaks.
- Leaking faucets consume a lot of water:
- Slow drip: 280 liters per week
- Fast drip: 750 liters per week
- Steady stream (broken pipe): 3,700 liters per week
- Leaking faucets consume a lot of water:
- Replace your toilet with a "low flow" model. Choose one that uses 6 litres or less per flush. Download the Ultra Low Flow Toilet Rebate Application form online. Toilets account for 30% of indoor water use.
- Think water-efficient when you buy products like washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, irrigation systems, taps, and toilets.
- Shower under a "low flow" showerhead and take shorter showers.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and washing dishes.
- Water when the sun is low, winds are calm and temperatures are cooler.
- Divide by zones -
- Different plants need different amounts of water.
- Divide your yard and landscape areas into separate irrigation zones so that grass can be watered separately and more frequently than groundcovers, shrubs, and trees.
- Both sprinkler and drip irrigation can be incorporated to achieve more efficient use of water.
- Water only things that grow - if you have an underground sprinkler system, make sure the sprinkler heads are adjusted properly to avoid water sidewalks and driveways.
- Consider natural landscaping and xeriscaping techniques - Landscaping using native plants and drought-tolerant plant species requires less maintenance and less water.
- Mulch - acts as a protective cover around plants. It keeps soil cool and moist and discourages weed growth. When grass clippings are allowed to decay naturally on the lawn, they release valuable nutrients, add water-saving mulch and encourage natural soil aeration by earthworms.
When do water conservation measures go into effect?
How will I be notified when the stages change, e.g. Stage 1 to 2, 3 or 4?
How much water does the average person use per day?
In BC, the average person uses about 490 litres per day, and the average Canadian uses 330 litres per day.
What are the financial benefits of conserving water?
Becoming more water-efficient reduces the full scope of water costs, including:
What can I do to help conserve water?
Would the town ever consider hauling water from the lake to the reservoir?
A closer future location if needed would be the Kootenay River which is the source for Kootenay Lake.
The Town of Creston has 2 wells that draw water from the Kootenay River aquifer now. One well has been activated to assist our Arrow Creek Water Treatment Plant this season (2021) which is easily maintaining our town reservoirs. The completion of our Schikurski Pump Station improvements in 2020, allows us to use our pumps to offset any seasonal low flows from the Arrow Creek Water Treatment Plant.
The biggest positive change by our agricultural users (mostly cherries) has been the switch to “drip irrigation” which has reduced the water draw tremendously.
The Town of Creston has addressed our water use concerns and our sewer (wastewater treatment plant) over the past 10 years receiving federal and provincial grants and working with strong long-term strategy plans.