The sagest advice ever offered to young people was to look after their belongings.
That old-fashioned approach conflicts with the current consumer mentality where people just go out and get a new one.
From clothing to gadgets to household appliances, very little is made to last forever and the less we look after stuff, the sooner it needs to be replaced. Haste does make waste.
There are certain things however, that we take for granted, that are existential threats to our health and happiness. They are indeed priceless and if not looked after, become unavailable for future generations.
Water is one such resource.
Entering its 25th year of service, the Rural Water Quality Program has funded over 3,700 projects amounting to over $30 million of economic activity since it began. Taxpayers funded approximately $7.6 million of that investment.
The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) has administered the program, offering advice to rural landowners looking to improve their impact on the environment.
Cattle and other ruminants have been held back from waterways with fencing and manure management has been a focus to avoid runoff.
As the area grows and development pressures make even greater demands on the groundwater needed to support additional residents, we need to remain vigilant in protecting this resource.
We remain unsure if enough emphasis is placed on this data if communities are to continue growing. In Centre Wellington water advocacy groups like Save Our Water continue to point out the limits within the Grand River watershed.
Without water, humans are out of luck. This priceless resource demands to be treated with reverence and thanks to this program and hundreds of water advocates, generations in the future will benefit.
