By Chris Moss is an Otter Point Resident

Living through the new challenges of climate change, we must change our attitude and behaviour toward the first requirement of life – water.

Bylaws are one of the ways we can change behaviours, but most people perceive them as more of a “stick” than a “carrot”.  Still, strong bylaws, can become the norm if properly enforced over some time.  Remember the introduction of seatbelts in cars?  “Can’t be done” “Nobody will use them”.  Today, nobody thinks twice about putting on a seat belt.  It will be the same with building bylaws.

Provincial building codes often lag behind local requirements that residents support.  Many BC municipalities are speeding ahead on their own and asking for standards above those currently in force. We have seen this with the Provincial Energy and Zero Carbon step codes, where one Council says, “Step 3 by 2023” and another right beside it says “Step 5 by 2023” while the province allows “Step 5 by 2027”.  

Some developers have said “Can’t be done” “Nobody will use them” but it is being done successfully where it is required.

It should not be a surprise that building permits require adequate water.  A metal roof, while more expensive, will last far longer than a shingled roof it can be totally recycled if the building is torn down; it will not burn or shed pollution into our shared environment every time it rains. It can be used to collect potable water year round and can support solar panels better than a shingled roof. 

Having a south or southwest facing sloped metal roof should be a natural requirement for almost all buildings.  The prevailing rains tend to come from the southwest and solar power collection is enhanced at the same time.

Requirements for rainwater collection should be added to all building codes and bylaws for new construction. Built into the design, and enforced by local bylaws, these water saving ideas will become the norm for “green” construction. 

Those lucky enough to have water piped into their homes now face lower water pressure, strong watering restrictions,  and are encouraged to let the lawn go brown in the summer.  But if your home was built with a rain collection tank (say 3000 gallons), you could keep your garden and lawn green all year and benefit the environment by letting that water soak in during the hot summers when the ground needs it the most. This cools the air, resists wildfire, provides moisture for insects and animals, and recharges the aquifer under your feet.

 Local government must construct and maintain very expensive underground infrastructure to deal with “wastewater”. How many hundreds of thousands of tax dollars could be saved if we just decided to keep that water on the land for as long as possible instead of trying to flush it away as quickly as possible?