The North SaltSpring Waterworks District have indicated they will not supply Fraser's Thimble Farms with a watering permit in the future. Watering permits have only recently been required by the district. This summer the longest we knew we would have water was 2 weeks with continual threats that our permit could be rescinded or revoked at a moments notice.They have said the sustainability of our business is not their concern and we do not have permission to "carry on this way" in the future.
-Our farm has been in operation for 45 years
-We use less than 6% of the water recommended to run a farm our size (94% less than other farms our size growing container plants). ( 3.63% in 2016)
-From the beginning of drought stage 2 (May 1st) this year we have further reduced our water use by an additional 30+%, which is the provinces recommendation for Stage 4 restrictions ( 36% In May-June and 50%+ in July-Aug)
-New NSSWD farm rates instituted this year mean we are paying 10-20 times more for water than competing farms on the Saanich Peninsula

- Our nursery relies on this water, combined with our own collected water to keep our plants alive through the summer.
- In other districts nurseries are exempt from water restrictions as we are the most vulnerable to permanent economic damage (short of livestock producers).
- Our nursery is the most conscientious, water conserving nursery we can find anywhere in Canada, always using more than 90% less water than typically used by a nursery our size.
-We do not water on a schedule as that uses too much water. We water when the plants need it.
- We increased the capacity of one of our water reservoirs (and lined it) this summer with the hopes of being able to capture more water during wet winters. Our reservoirs do not fill every winter.
- The ground water in our area is brackish and there are no streams or rivers nearby that we can draw from.
- Our water needs have not increased and we have not asked for more water than what we have used for years.
- Nurseries need support from their water providers in times of drought and to be restricted can mean total devastation in 3-4 days to crops that can take decades to mature. The future of our nursery is in jeopardy if we don't retain the right to water our plants.
. We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge the NSSWD to act now to continue to provide water to Fraser’s Thimble Farms during times of drought and to make nurseries exempt from water permits as they are in other districts like the Cowichan Valley Regional district.