Environment Minister Mary Polak introduced legislation today that will update and replace B.C.’s century-old Water Act with the new Water Sustainability Act.

Since 2009, the B.C. government has engaged widely, and received suggestions and ideas on an unprecedented scale and quality. This input from individual British Columbians, First Nations organizations and stakeholder groups has helped shape the Water Sustainability Act.

The proposed act will make improvements in seven key areas, to:

•Protect stream health and aquatic environments.
•Consider water in land-use decisions.
•Regulate and protect groundwater.
•Regulate water use during times of scarcity.
•Improve security, water-use efficiency and conservation.
•Measure and report large-scale water use.
•Provide for a range of governance approaches.

The Water Sustainability Act will be brought into effect in spring 2015, once supporting regulations are developed and finalized. The B.C. government is also reviewing its approach to water pricing and has released a set of principles that will help inform a new fee and rental structure to support the new act and sustainable water management.