By Vivian Tran ,
1 hours ago Photo Credit: iStock A tiny village in British Columbia is reporting a level of water use that looks striking on paper: nearly double the national average. But officials in Canal Flats say the figure may say as much about what the community cannot measure as about what residents are actually using.
Here's what to know Canal Flats, a village of around 889 people in B.C.'s East Kootenay region, was listed at about 182 gallons of water use per person each day in 2025 — well above the Canadian average of 88.5 gallons, according to CBC News .
With no water meters in place, village staff can tell how much water enters Canal Flats' system but not how much reaches end users. That means the high per-person figure is raising questions not only about conservation, but also about how limited the community's data is.
The village's 2025 drinking water report says the system has 472 connections in all — 442 residential, 10 commercial, two for schools, and 18 owned by the village. Without metering, officials still cannot tell whether the elevated water-use number reflects heavy residential consumption, leaks, or a mix of both.
The report also urges residents to "make e...