British Columbians need strong legal protection for our water. And in 2016, the BC government enacted a new Water Sustainability Act.
Our reviews of the Act were mixed – it included some good new legal tools for regulating water in times of scarcity, but also some missed opportunities in terms of guaranteeing water for fish and wildlife and for drinking water.
The BC government is in the process of developing the rules that will determine how the Act works, and our team has been working hard to tell the government that those rules need to be strong. We drafted a “Statement of Expectations” for these rules that has been signed onto by a wide range of organizations.
As the government rolls out its new regulations, we will be watching – and sounding the alarm if those rules do not do enough to protect BC’s fresh water.
Top photo: Colby Stopa