This will mean more droughts and lower water levels in many areas of the country, the institute says in its most recent report on water availability in Canada.

Daniel Van Vliet says water conservation begins with individuals.

The responsibility to conserve rests with the individual, says Daniel Van Vliet, chairman of the Ottawa chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada.

"When we wash our driveway, flush our toilets and water our lawns, that’s potable water we’re using. It’s unfortunate that people think we have a never-ending resource. So, there’s no push to conserve. The best bang in conservation would be for every household to cut down."

The average Canadian spends about $25 per month on water. Environment Canada estimates that treating and maintaining municipal water will cost $23 billion in the next decade.

Climate change

Certain areas in Canada will experience lower water levels over the next few decades because of climate change and large levels of consumption, according to the report.

"I think one of the general conclusions should be that for some areas, water availability is going to be a problem," says John Carrey, general director of the National Water Research Institute. "We are not as economically efficient as we should be and, in a lot of areas, we could do a better job."

Ontario is one area where things could be better, Carrey says. The provincial government goes to the trouble and expense of treating all water for drinking — regardless of whether it will end up rinsing streets or washing cars.

"If we told Canadians what it costs us to treat all water to the standards of drinking water, it may be more meaningful to them to conserve."

The Ottawa River is just one part of Canada's complex water system.

Canada holds one fifth of the world’s freshwater. However, scientists working at the National Water Research Institute claim Canadians use too much of it.

"We have an interesting situation here in Canada where a lot of our population is centred around the Great Lakes," Carrey says. "So people tend to think we have a lot of water kicking around. That attitude results in wasted resources."

Lake water is used in farming, industry and municipal systems. In 2001, the Great Lakes fell to their lowest levels in 30 years. Every year, there is a steady rise in the amount of water consumed by Canadians.

Meager monitoring?

Nearly all of the institute’s recommendations revolve around the need for more monitoring of Canada’s water systems in order to better understand what the future holds for water levels.

"We need more money to fund monitoring networks," says John Lilley, Executive Director of the National Water Resources Association, a non-profit volunteer group promoting effective water management. The government has cut back on resources for water monitoring over the last few years, he says.

Environment Canada expects national costs for water treatment and monitoring to exceed $80 billion over the next 20 years. The report recommends more efficiency in monitoring both industrial and municipal systems - to ensure money is not wasted.

"The policy makers must understand the significance of the research," Carrey says. "Here, you have a call for more monitoring from a group of scientists who are not satisfied with the amount of data."

Meanwhile, the threats of climate change and higher consumption continue to alter the levels and quality of the water in Canada.

"Water shouldn’t be taken for granted," Lilley says. "It’s not assured and there are a variety of potential threats. In order to understand these, we need good scientific monitoring."

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