Try to imagine what seven billion litres of water looks like.
Thats how much H2O the City of Richmond saved between 2006 and 2011.
And, depending on how hot and dry it gets this summer, that incredible reduction in consumption could get even bigger.
The city has been going to great lengths in recent years to save water, evident in its leak detection and 24-hour response plans, along with a successful house metering program, which now has 75 per cent of Richmond residences monitoring their water usage.
And its little wonder, considering the cost of buying the water from Metro Vancouver continues to rise markedly year on year.
The cost of producing clean water continues to go up and up and we simply dont want to waste it, said the citys director of operations, Tom Stewart.
We saw a reduction of about 17 per cent in our usage between 2006 and 2011 and thats increased to 20 per cent in the last two years.
But a long, hot and dry summer will see that go out of the window very quickly.
The first of the aforementioned water conservation tactics, leak detection, involves something more advanced than the traditional water-witching with a Y-shaped branch.
When a leak is suspected something could be rusting when it shouldnt or theres unusual water on the ground a city worker is tasked along with a geo-phone and sensory equipment, usually at night.
One guy goes out there with the equipment and it has been very successful in getting the leak pinpointed within a couple of metres, said Stewart.
We use geo-phones to help us listen to find out if theres water running when it shouldnt. It will then let us isolate the area where the leak is and we then have acoustic sensors to detect exactly what is leaking.
If theres a main break there were 18 across the city last year theres a 24-hour response plan, which can dispatch a crew within 20 minutes.
We try to deal with them right away as they can discharge a lot of water in a short space of time, added Stewart.
Responsible for the lions share of the water saving is Richmonds water-metering program, which started with single-family homes, before spreading over the last couple of years to townhouse complexes and apartments.
If (a residents) usage goes through the roof over a period of time, we can alert them that there may be a leak, said Stewart.
Even with the conservation and leak-prevention efforts, restrictions still need to be applied by Metro Vancouver starting with water sprinkling right now and, if a sustained dry spell kicks in, car washing.
Metro Vancouver sets the bylaws and the city has to police it. We will put notices on peoples doors and that usually works.
The fines range from $100 to $1,000, depending on the severity and frequency of the violation.
To deal with such restrictions in summer, some residents collect rainwater in rain barrels and use that non-potable water for lawns and gardens and even to wash their cars.
The barrels are for sale for $20 at the citys Recycling Depot on Lynas Lane.
