This letter was sent to Whistler’s mayor and council, and shared with Pique.
I would encourage you to re-visit the recently passed water-use bylaw. It is my understanding that this decision was made void of any consultation with either the Whistler landscape industry or local irrigation companies. If true, why not?
We installed a controlled drip irrigation system many years ago as a cost-effective and sustainable solution for efficient water management in addition to the time saving it affords. The new bylaw handcuffs the use of the system and invites us to resort to hand-watering or sprinklers, which I am sure you agree can only result in the use of significantly more water. The letter in Pique’s March 29 issue from Heike Stippler (“Whistler ‘needs to do better’ on water-use bylaw) is accurate and I couldn’t agree more.
The goal of water conservation could be far better served by addressing the aging infrastructure that is the biggest source of water leaks for many municipalities. Depending on the municipality and the condition of its infrastructure, the percentage of water loss can range from 15 per cent to as high as 60 per cent. The Resort Municipality of Whistler Utilities Department could easily provide the percentage in addition to the number of gallons lost.
