Scarcity vs. Abundance : The case of water

Water meters are an effective tool for monitoring water consumption in buildings and are particularly useful for identifying leaks. However, they remain relatively uncommon in Quebec’s covered through municipal taxation. residential sector, where they are installed in only 14% of buildings³. Their primary use is to support the management of water distribution infrastructure and to promote public awareness of water consumption. While some municipalities have introduced residential water metering to bill households for excessive use, this practice is not widespread. In most cases, drinking water treatment and distribution costs are covered through municipal taxation.

In contrast, residential water meters are widely used across Europe, where households are typically charged based on their actual water consumption ($/m³)⁴. As a result, residents tend to be more conscious of their water use since excessive consumption directly affects their utility bills.

Agriculture requires substantial amounts of water withdrawal, averaging around 22% of total volumes⁵. For agricultural irrigation, the European Union has invested heavily in developing the reuse of treated wastewater from wastewater treatment plants to address the increasing pressure on water resources. Although on average only 2.4% of this water has been reused across the EU since its implementation, some countries, such as Cyprus, reuse up to 89% of their wastewater⁶. This practice varies depending on climate and water scarcity.

In Quebec, the reuse of treated wastewater is highly regulated, and sanitation requirements are extremely high. The abundance of water and the significant investment costs required to adapt water treatment infrastructure, not to mention the health risks, explain the reluctant to adopt this practice. Quebec does, however, have other methods for reducing drinking water consumption, such as rainwater harvesting.