Assessment Of The Supply And Demand Of Cove Bay Water System On Bowen Island

Water scarcity has been a popular occurrence on Bowen Island, British Columbia in the past and recent years. The situation is compounded by population growth, climate change, and increased summer water use. The study aimed at assessing the demand and supply of the largest water distribution system on Bowen Island – the Cove Bay Water System, using a water balance approach in Grafton Lake Watershed. From 2015-2019, it appears that more than 50% of the residents of the watershed used over 300L/P/D in the summer when there was limited precipitation. The study revealed that the regression of the summer precipitation versus summer water use is more significant than that of temperature. Therefore, the summer precipitation is a better determinant of summer water use.

The present situation of demand and supply in the watershed seem adequate but there are concerns for future situations, especially when climate change and population growth are considered. Recommendations were provided to optimize supply and consciously to reduce demand. Therefore, this research could be taken further by using the current water supply and demand assessment to estimate the impact of climate and population growth on the water supply up to 2100. It is recommended that climate monitoring at the Bowen Island station should be resumed, as no calibration data was available from the island’s station since 2012 so Vancouver Harbour’s station (the closest match) was used in this project.