Rainwater harvesting in Canada
Rainwater harvesting is becoming a procedure that many Canadians are incorporating into their daily lives, although data does not give exact figures for implementation.
Many Canadians have started implementing rainwater harvesting systems for use in stormwater reduction, irrigation, laundry, and lavatory plumbing.
Substantial reform to Canadian law since the mid-2000s has increased the use of this technology in agricultural, industrial, and residential use, but ambiguity remains amongst legislation in many provinces.
[4] CANARM is an association that prioritizes education, training and spreading awareness for those entering the rainwater harvesting industry.
[3] The National Plumbing Code permits the collection of rainwater for non-potable uses such as toilet flushing and outdoor irrigation throughout Canada.
However, many local municipalities have bylaws outlining criteria for capture and storage containers among other articles related to rainwater harvesting.
[7] A large number of standards and regulations have been put in place regarding catchments, conveyance networks, and storage containers in Ontario Guidelines for Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a rating system that is recognized as the international mark of excellence for green building in 150 countries.
[9] The Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability at the University of British Columbia (UBC) makes use of various rainwater capture methods for plumbing, heating and cooling.
In Canada, the regulations and legislation are still being developed for rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse (water used for laundry, showers and sinks [1]).
[2] In the summer months of Canada, the practice can decrease the pressure on municipal systems and is therefore seen as a great "green" alternative for water supply.
While the majority of the country has not yet faced water scarcity issues, it is believed that the potential for this to happen will increase because of climate change.
[2] Because of low volumes of rainfall throughout the year, an increase in rainwater harvesting could cause less water to be available to license holders that are downstream.
