Stewarding a Community Well

July 24, 2025
Principle Seven: Concern for Community

In consideration of the drought that is stressing our Fanny Bay community and causing some residential wells to dry up, the members of Diamond Springs Water Bottling Cooperative have decided to suspend all operations for at least the next two years pending a better understanding of our groundwater resource and wider community discussion.

As a worker cooperative, we are here to serve the needs of our community and to provide honest jobs in our community.  In this period of worsening drought, we no longer feel sending bottled water to Denman and Hornby – albeit a very small amount – is appropriate.

We will continue working with Beaufort Watershed Stewards to closely monitor our groundwater resource over the next few years. We continue to feel that the idea of a sustainable community well has value to a community whose water resources are so fragile.  Our Diamond Springs well – perhaps because it was witched – is incredibly robust.  Is there a value to the community in having a local and sustainable source of water that can be relied upon in future droughts?  To meet our needs in an emergency?   We are very small scale – a good fit we suspect for our small community….  Is there a value to this?  And if so, can we as a community -with a solid understanding of our groundwater resource – come up with a plan to deliver that?

When we began this co-op, it was with the hope of creating a brand-new policy model for government to require others to follow if they wish to extract community water for commercial purposes.  In making the decision to shut down all operations for two years while we expand our understanding of our groundwater resource and the needs of our community, we believe we are acting consistently with our cooperative model.  Principle Seven: Concern for Community.