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Letters: Dispelling anxiety around food production water use

'The majority of commercial food farms in the SCRD are in Elphinstone. We presently have about 10 acres being intensively farmed and irrigated for vegetable and fruits. A good estimate of our annual water use is around 6,000 cubic metres of water, (600 cubic metres per acre).'
Coast Reporter
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Produce from Bear Ranch in Elphinstone. Elphinstone produces the majority of vegetable produce in the SCRD, Chris Basil observes.

Editor: 

I read with interest about the decision to delay consideration to extend Stage 4 water restriction exemptions for commercial food farms (“Stage 4 water exemption extension delayed,” May 3). As a commercial food farmer for the last five years, this is a subject close to the heart.  

I understand director Alton Toth’s request to put this matter forward until July. With all issues relating to SCRD water, there arises considerable anxiety, so it is good to take some time to look closer at the issue. Perhaps in doing so, any anxiety about commercial food farming water use can be dispelled. 

The majority of commercial food farms in the SCRD are in Elphinstone. We presently have about 10 acres being intensively farmed and irrigated for vegetable and fruits. A good estimate of our annual water use is around 6,000 cubic metres of water, (600 cubic metres per acre). 

The average SCRD residential property consumes over 200 cubic metres per year. The total residential water use in the SCRD for 2022 was around 2.25 million cubic metres. 

Commercial, metered water users, such as restaurants and motels, consumed 260,000 cubic metres in 2022. (For fact checking interest, the numbers come from the SCRD 2023 water rate structure study.) 

I hope those numbers from the SCRD breakdown of water are helpful to illustrate the scale of what we are talking about. In short: Elphinstone commercial food farms used 6,000 cubic metres (m3), SCRD indoor commercial use was 260,000 m3, and SCRD residential used 2.25 million m3. 

Farms would have to miraculously grow 40-fold to match commercial use, and 400-fold to match residential use. Speaking as a local farmer, perhaps we could double food farming in the next five or 10 years and feel quite good about that. 

Extending the Stage 4 water restriction exemption to commercial food farmers would be of great relief and benefit. Without it some farmers may throw in the towel. The worry about  “…what might we be inviting to the Coast that we might not know about?”, as queried by director Toth, is not really the best question. 

I suggest that if, out of fear and anxiety, the exemption is not extended, then the question should be: “Who are we not inviting to the Coast?” 

Chris Basil 

Elphinstone