• “relatively low cost practical solution to the water quantity and quality problems along Senanus drive may be feasible…” “where there is the ability and willingness to cooperate on a logical basis.”
• “The water can be treated with point-of-entry or point-of-use treatment device to meet the AO or the GCDWQ.”
• “effects of these [palatability parameters] can be readily counter-acted by in-home treatment systems”
• “The most common water treatment technology used in BC is ion exchange for water softening (reducing hardness). These units range in capacity, and costs depend on a number of parameters, such as volume treated per day and TDS of the input waters."
• “Many homes in BC have water treatment systems for in-house use only, and use a combination of untreated well water and collected rainwater for garden irrigation. These ion exchange systems typically cost between $500 and $4000 to install and a few hundred dollars a year to operate. This assumes that a 5 to 7 gpm capacity ion exchange system is installed, along with a rainwater tank and small pump.”
  Piteau Report,2001 
• “If a detailed hydrogeological assessment was carried out it may be possible to develop a local area groundwater management strategy that would minimize the water quality problem in the area.”
• “Management options could include: setting abstraction limits on selected wells, promoting groundwater recharge, encouraging the use of cisterns for storing roof runoff, grouting off fractures in selected wells, abandoning some of the wells near the shoreline and possibly installing a community well field further inland.”
• "Practical ways of promoting groundwater recharge include: inserting check dams in road side and driveway ditches, installing perforated storm drains, installing soak-a-way pits for roof drainage and installing leaky stormwater retention ponds. These recharge facilities need not necessarily be located in the study area. For example, it may be shown that collecting and infiltrating storm water along West Saanich Road is viable and useful way of increasing the flow of groundwater under the study area.”
• “Draft Groundwater legislation has included provision for the establishment of groundwater management areas in British Columbia. If a suitable legal framework was established and the local water users were willing to cooperate, a relatively low cost and practical solution to the water quality and quantity problems along Senanus Drive may be feasible.
  
  
• Rainwater collection potential, calculated using the area measure tool of the CRD Natural Areas GIS data for the roof areas shown at the 21 Senanus properties, is 9,687,005.7 Litres of water per year. According to environment Canada rates of 329 Litres per person per day, this would serve 80.66 people, for one year. This is in addition to all other water sources. According to a Senanus resident,
  

  "Many of the homes on Senanus Drive are "modest," many have only 1 resident, others 2, and some are occupied during the summer and believe it or not many have low flush toilets and showerheads."
  

  If the above statement was true for the 21 properties on Senanus, then there are, according to the letter writer, about 40 people living on Senanus. If this was the case, it would mean that rainwater alone - if it was being used - would be sufficient for Senanus Drive residents to have double the Environment Canada daily water allowance per capita, assuming daily per capita usage of 329 litres per day. The rainwater could be used for aquifer recharge, irrigation, or non-potable water requirements, while potable groundwater used for human consumption.

• The 2000 FCM GMEF grant application proposal was designed to solve problems using a host of complimentary solutions, and included professional recommendations made earlier to the District.
• CSWVA wrote directly to the Grant Manager, threatened legal action, and opposed the grant which was designed to solve their problems.
• CSWVA also wrote to the District and stated "We do not wish to be studied."
• 1999-04-Let-CSWVA-CSCouncil.pdf
• CSWVA and friends continued claims that the District has done "nothing" are incorrect.
  
  

• One Senanus property, with its 15 bathrooms, 3 swimming pools, and more than half an acre of enclosed living space, likely places an enormous burden on water resources. However, the expansive buildings also represent a valuable opportunity. According to the TafeMeasure Drawings of building footprints on this property, this property alone would generate close to a million litres of rainwater from its roof area per year. This is an entirely new and "untapped" water source. Despite this, CSWVA and its members still state that "rainwater doesn't cut it."
  
  
• Current provincial groundwater legislation requires that well owners look after their own wells, and that, specifically, they do "not overpump." As noted in reports, Senanus water issues experienced are a result of over-pumping. This guide to provincial groundwater legislation specifically states:
  

  “Protect the well. Do not disturb the wellhead or the surface seal. Operate the well in a manner that prevents the intrusion of salt water or contaminated water into the well, or into the aquifer from which the water is withdrawn (e.g., don’t over-pump).”
  http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/plan_protect_sustain/groundwater/gw_regulation/GWPR_private_well_owners.pdf
  

• Based on available rainwater data for Senanus, rainwater collection, if coupled with the suggested solutions from the 2000 FCM GMEF grant, would contribute substantially to the elimination of problems on Senanus - particularly if conservation measures were put in place for properties with 15 bathrooms and 3 swimming pools. Many of the properties on Senanus have pools, spas, very large floor areas, many bathrooms, and extensive grounds, all of which seriously tax water resources - particularly in the absence of recharge. Reports to the District clearly state that the aquifer is suffering because it's not being recharged - and many recommendations have been made to the District on how to rectify the issue.
  
  

To ensure a sustainable solution to any legitimate water problems on Senanus, many solutions are currently available in addition to the professional recommendations already made to the District, such as managing the aquifer and groundwater, and implementing solutions such as those in the FCM GMEF Grant the District applied for on behalf of Senanus residents in 2000. The District, by allowing so many large dwellings over an aquifer it already knew to be suffering, also had a hand in creating the inconvenience of aesthetically unpleasing water the Senanus residents experience. Therefore, the District must be part of the solution, in following the professional recommendations taxpayers in the District have already paid for.

Provincial policies in the new "Living Water Smart" Plan support environmentally friendly initiatives that would see Senanus issues solved, without installing urban infrastructure in a rural area. Senanus residents, as is pointed out in reports, have to be willing to co-operate with the District and its appointees in order for a solution to occur. It may mean that some of the swimming pools may need to be converted to salt water, bathroom fixtures converted, rainwater collected, purified and used for the garden or for aquifer recharge. The District may need to apply for an infrastructure grant to cap the Municipal springs at the corner of Mount Newton and Senanus, or may need to insert check dams in road side and driveway ditches, install perforated storm drains, soak-a-way leaky stormwater retention ponds. Any of these initiatives would likely be supported by new Provincial Policy, and organizations like POLIS, the Environmental Law Centre, Living Water Smart and others may be willing to help create the regulatory frameworks for this to happen. The District might also accept the offer of a provincial facilitator to bring together policy makers, citizens, and professionals, to ensure needs are met within the overall framework of bylaws, policies, and the Regional Growth Strategy. And, with the new Central Saanich Policy put in place last week, that requires studies of all homes in an affected area in order to determine the nature and extent of problems, it is far more likely that a solution will be found soon that is equitable, environmentally friendly, and won't cause destruction of our rural lands.

• "water's limits must be recognized, which means the days of taking our "unlimited" supply of water for granted have passed."
• "It's important we take good care of this valuable resource for future generations."
• On water use:
  • use only efficient irrigation methods
  • preserve topsoil to absorb and retain water
  • where possible, use reclaimed water
• Continually collect, clean, and reuse water - lowering costs, reducing pressure on our water supplies
• Know how to avoid impacts on the environment and consider environmental and social costs in all operations
• Partner with communities and governments to demonstrate collective water stewardship
• Use and promote water efficient appliances and practices
• Teach others how to reclaim and reuse water and turn wastes into riches
• Have plentiful trees so water seeps slowly into the ground instead of rushing straight into storm drains (or the sea)
• Have sidewalks and roads that allow water to flow into the ground replenishing our supply
• Fill yards with native plants or other species that aren't so thirsty
• Catch rainwater for us to water our gardens, wash our cars, and flush our toilets
• Capture and clean all water used so that we can use it again and again
• Enjoy precious drinking water only for drinking
• By using water more responsibly, governments can save on the costs of water infrastructure and energy, reduce their need to find new water supplies, and protect water quality for healthier communities.
• Water overuse has put real stress on our water, trying to meet too many demands.
• All users will need to innovate or improve their practices to be more efficient with water use. We can start by conserving water and not wasting it.
• We need to protect our groundwater from pollution and overuse.
• Get together, decide together. Around the world there is a trend towards greater community involvement, resulting in more effective community solutions to managing water. Future planning will integrate the management of stormwater, drinking water, wastewater and oceans.
• Watershed planning helps to resolve land and water use problems or conflicts in a given region by bringing together interested agencies, First Nations, stakeholders and communities.
• Living Water Smart will enable and support local water stewardship initiatives that recognize the broad value of freshwater ecosystems to find creative and suitable solutions to local water issues.
• We can't manage what we don't measure. Water makes a valuable contribution to our economy and we need to know more about who, where, when and how people are using it. Measuring the amount of water people use provides essential information to effectively manage water supplies. Measuring water also benefits the water user. We can identify leaks and other inefficient uses, and show how much water has been consumed. Advances in technology mean water use information can be collected automatically. Becoming water efficient is a key objective of this plan.
• Ways of working with, rather than against nature have resulted in communities and developments that capture and use rain, treat or reuse wastewater, provide cool green spaces, and reduce our energy needs.
• This represents a shift in thinking from taking water for granted to designing our communities to live in harmony with water. Innovative ideas and designs will consider our changing climate, economic and social contexts. By living water smart, communities will be more prepared for climate change and our quality of life will be enhanced.
• Smart spending on smart infrastructure: Eighty percent of provincial funding to local governments is for water related infrastructure. It's important that this money be used wisely.
• To conserve water and maintain its health, criteria for provincial infrastructure funding will require greener and smarter designs and development. New incentives will encourage developers and engineers to continually seek better solutions to help meet our future water needs.
• It won't always be easy to make the best choices for our communities, but if we all work together, we will balance social, economic, and environmental values in our community plans.
• Getting Smarter with Science: Science needs to drive our decision-making. It's important to understand our watersheds, their contribution to human health and the environment, and the best ways to protect water resources.