Publications of Ferguson, Keith

Water is the strategic resource of the 21st century - Canada stands “at a watershed” in freshwater management. Attitudes, institutions and policies are changing, but an outdated supply-oriented paradigm still dominates. At a Watershed focuses on the enabling environment that ensures holistic water management is institutionally embedded. Ultimately, the goal is “ecological governance,” where natural ecosystem processes are carefully considered at all levels of decision making, up and down the watershed. Developing water sustainability requires a shift that embeds ecosystem integrity in the fundamental basis of all planning. This approach limits the expansion of supply-oriented infrastructure, addresses cumulative effects at the watershed, and unleashes the full potential of conservation-oriented innovation. The strength of this report lies in the rich mosaic of experiences and examples from around the world where theory and concept inform practice.

This report focuses on identifying benefits as well as the barriers to water Demand Side Management in Canada. The interconnected and interrelated nature of barriers creates a gridlock that resists the adoption of a comprehensive approach to demand management for urban water in Canada. Understanding the interrelationships of these barriers is the first step towards developing a Demand Side Management strategy for urban water provision. The report exaplains why a comprehensive and long-term approach to Demand Side Management is necessary and provides action plans for all levels of government and other stakeholders for implementation.

The majority of Canadians live in large urban and regional centres, and municipal water use represents a significant portion (12 percent) of overall water withdrawals in Canada. Urban users in Canada use more than twice as much water as their European counterparts, with significant levels of wastage and inefficiency. Such high levels of urban water use have resulted in expensive supply and disposal infrastructure expansions, ecological impacts in developed areas where environmental stresses are already high, and increasing pressure on water treatment facilities to treat all water to drinking quality standards. Demand-side management (DSM) is an alternative (or, more accurately, complementary) approach to increasing supply infrastructure. It involves decreasing the demand for water through a mix of education, technology, pricing reform, regulation and recycling. This report provides insight into water use and supply in Canadian cities and the potential for demand side management.