WAYNE COCHRANE’S REAL ESTATE INSIDER Canada’s Water Management Crisis: What You Can Do Written by Jim Adair
In a recent consumer survey, the RBC Blue Water Project found that only 23 per cent of Canadians have taken preventative measures such as landscaping with grading or replacing paved surfaces with permeable materials such as interlocking stone or gravel. The survey showed 47 per cent of Canadians say their "ideal" house has a paved driveway or yard and they would be unwilling to change to a permeable alternative.
RBC says 54 per cent of Canadians have paved driveways, and only 24 per cent of urban dwellers currently have unpaved or water permeable driveways.
If you can't stand to be without your paved driveway, consider making it smaller by adding plantings. You can also help by keeping your driveway clean. If your car is leaking oil, have it fixed so the oil doesn't wash into the storm water system (and so your car doesn't let you down at the side of the road). Use a car wash instead of your driveway to keep the wash water, cleaner and sediment out of the storm sewers. Use road salt and sand sparingly in winter.
Aside from the driveway there are other places to keep storm water on your property. Recently Realty Times reported on some techniques to harvest rainwater.
"Canadians continue to have a love affair with paved driveways, and Rain gardens can also be planted in there's a serious trickle-down effect," low-lying areas of the property. They are designed to capture and absorb says Sandford. rainwater quickly, and can provide a habitat for birds, butterflies and fauAlternatives to a paved driveway na. include crushed brick or decorative pebbles. Or, install precast concrete pavers with wide gaps in between to Statistics Canada says that Canadiallow for drainage. Fill the gaps with ans are getting better at water consand or fine gravel instead of con- servation. About 63 per cent of crete. Another alternative is to pave homeowners reported using low-flow two strips spaced for the wheels of shower heads in 2011, more than your car, and plant the middle with twice as many as used them in 1991. About 47 per cent of households had grass or ground cover. a low-flow toilet in 1991, up from only nine per cent in 1991. Several companies also offer "green" driveways that allow you to park on grass without killing it. CORE Grass By Jim Adair features plastic grid panels in a honeycomb design, to which a structural soil mix is added to support the turf. Other companies offering "green" pavers include GOPLA and Ecogrid.
Brain Teasers What Animal Is On the Canadian Quarter?
Word Scramble: TPSIL YRENT
Go to www.mooving.ca - ‘About Wayne’ and click on ‘Monthly Newsletter Trivia’ for the answers. Page 5