Water Facts

Did you know?

1. The District of Squamish pumps all of its drinking water from seven wells located in Powerhouse Springs which draws groundwater from the Ring Creek Aquifer. In emergency situations, backup water supplies can be taken from the Mashiter Creek and Stawamus River.

2. Reducing water consumption also reduces energy consumption across the system.

3. The District’s water supply system is comprised of 143km of pipeline ranging from 100mm to 500mm in diameter.

4. The District is working to reduce water loss in the system by detecting and repairing leaks and replacing old, leaking pipes.

5. Our water system has 701 fire hydrants, 2,322 system valves, 19 control valve stations, 4 pump stations, 7 reservoirs and 7 wells.

6. Two water storage reservoirs are drilled into solid rock.

7. The District has 14 pressure zones. To keep pressure within the ideal range for each zone, there are 14 pressure reducing valves located throughout Squamish.

8. Water consumption within Squamish nearly doubles in the summer months, much of it from lawn watering. By placing restrictions on outdoor water use, the District is able to manage the flow of water more effectively to maintain the best service possible. This also ensures we have an adequate water supply in emergency fire situations.

9. Many of the District parks have their irrigation shut off or reduced during the summer months to reduce water consumption. Some parks that are watered throughout the summer, such as Brennan Park and Hendrickson Fields, use non-potable water from a separate well source. The planters and hanging baskets Downtown are also hand watered using non-potable water, ensuring that the potable water system is not affected by this water use.

10. Residential indoor water use in Canada is from the following: toilet – 30%; bathing and showering – 35%; laundry – 20%; kitchen and drinking – 10%; cleaning – 5%.

11. Reducing water consumption decreases the strain on the water supply system and can defer costly upgrades to the system.

12. 80% of the water consumed in the District eventually goes to the Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment requiring significant energy consumption. Reducing water consumption is a great way to decrease your energy consumption as well.