One hundred years is a long time, especially as concerns our attitudes towards resources like water. But eventually, a change has to come.

The Province of British Columbia is taking steps to update the 100-year-old Water Act — the principal law for managing the diversion and use of provincial water resources — which could have far-reaching implications for water use at the community and domestic levels.

Established in 1909, B.C.'s Water Act is the primary piece of water management legislation and plays a key role in the sustainability of B.C.'s water.

"When the Water Act was written, over 100 years ago, we were in a very different place - culturally, socially, environmentally and economically, with respect to water," said Heather Leschied, Water Stewardship Program Manager for Wildsight. "So the timing is right."

There is an opportunity for public input into the proposed changes, which ends Friday. More information in this regard can be obtained on the government website www.livingwatersmart.ca/water-act. Details for contributing to a "discussion paper" can be found there.

"The Water Act modernization discussion paper outlines opportunities for using, sustaining and managing water resources in a changing environment and has been developed to encourage dialogue on ways to modernize the Water Act," the website states. "It proposes principles to underpin a modernized Water Act and presents goals, supporting objectives and possible solutions. The discussion paper does not present any preferred option or position."

Leschied is encouraging members of the public to check it out.

"The current Water Act, which drives how we use water in the province - it looks at irrigation, domestic use, agricultural use; it looks at how land can be modified that surrounds water as well - this Act is 100 years old. I think that's shocking for most people."

The intentions of the updated Water Act are fourfold:

• Protect stream health and aquatic environments (the definition of "stream" includes rivers and lakes, Leschied said);

• Improve water governance arrangements;

• Introduce more flexibility and efficiency in the water allocation system;

• Regulate ground water use in priority areas and for large withdrawals.

The first point is key, Leschied said.

"The previous act didn't recognize ecosystem needs, with respect to allocation," she said. "So that was something that definitely needed to be changed. We need to understand that ecosystems require water, as do communities.

"This is a positive change towards protecting water in British Columbia."

The proposed principles for Water Act modernization are:

. B.C.'s water resources are used within sustainable limits.

. First Nations social and cultural practices associated with water are respected and accommodated.

. Science informs water resource management and decision making.

. Water resource legislation, policy and decision making processes as well as management tools are integrated across all levels of government.

. Rules and standards for water management are clearly defined, providing a predictable investment climate across the province.

. Flexibility is provided to adapt to extreme conditions or unexpected events on a provincial, regional or issue-specific level.

. Incentives are created for water conservation that consider the needs of users and investors.

Rights to use water come with responsibilities to be efficient and help protect stream health.

The modernization process is currently in the policy development stage. The request for legislation and legislative drafting is expecting in the summer or fall of this year, with the Bill introduction to follow.

Leschied said one of the concerns is the funding of the proposed changes to the Act.

"The province hasn't directed funding towards implementing these changes," she said, "which will be a key component of implicating, say, flow requirements for ecosystems, or looking at potential water management plans that could be put in place. So it's unclear at this point once the new Water Act is approved, how those changes will hit the ground.