More Smoke Than a Fire Practice

And more mirrors than a carnival.

The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee's newspaper article (or, to be more accurate, the Regional District bureaucrats' story in today's paper) is a finely orchestrated opus that should be preceded with the notification:  "Advertisement". 

Because that's what it is.
And you know how much we all trust advertising.

It would warn of a rating, but not for Adult Content.

The "Boil water notices cast aside" story by Rolke in The Morning Star, May 10th, 2015.

Printed in bold are recent comments from residents upon learning (from the Citizens for Changes to the Master Water Plan) that Kelowna residents pay one-third our water rates and that only 4 per cent of Duteau Creek water, in summer, goes to domestic customers...fully 96 per cent goes to  irrigators.

Here we go:

"Greater Vernon residents will likely hear about fewer boil water advisories.  (But we'll still hear that suddenly there's turbidity on Kal Lake whenever a waterskier pitches headlong into the wave cast by the boat, suddenly there's turbidity on Kal Lake because some milfoil harvester simply had to harvest milfoil that day...near the Kal Lake water intake).

The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee is moving towards switching water sources if there are turbidity concerns instead of issuing boil water notices or water quality advisories.  

'The fact that we have two systems that, outside of peak demand in the summer, gives us the ability to avoid boil water notices,' said director Bob Fleming.  'It gives us flexibility in the system and protects customers.'  (Sure...when none of bureaucrats' other education tactics succeeded in a Yes vote for the $70 million water referendum, they can always fall back on a safety issue.  That'll work...safety.  The stuff of Motherhood and apple pie...that'll convince folks...ya sure).

The two sources that can be utilized depending on the water quality in the other are Kalamalka Lake and Duteau Creek.  (Did anyone notice that it's virtually impossible to switch the most volume of Duteau Creek water user customers to Kalamalka Lake?  Duteau is an 18-foot shallow slough that has more water quality issues than you can throw a stick into...We're angry that we pay 3x the rate of Kelowna residents.  Kelowna's water isn't billed Vernon's way...Kelowna water is based on taxation, so it's easier on everybody.  I know Kelowna people who don't even have a water meter and are happy with their flat rate, they don't abuse it.)

Director Jim Garlick says conditions on Kalamalka Lake have changed in 50 years.  (Conditions 'on' the lake, or 'in' it?)  'It's getting shallower and shallower.  It's not the lake it used to be,' he said, adding 'There are benefits to having some variety.'  (Wait until you see Duteau at low water, it's not the reservoir it used to be either...dead things floating, bird poop everywhere, campers and mudboggers having an uncontrolled 'blast' on the lakes that make up the Duteau system!  Nobody ever controls what goes on up there...just look at all the muddy-to-the-roof 4x4s coming down the mountain.)

Staff insist that switching water sources is a more efficient process than issuing boil water advisories.  (More efficient because staff have to get one-on-one with customers?  How about cities with only one source?  How about populations 40 times ours?)

'Public notifications are very labour intensive and actions required during an event include staff notifying 800-plus customers on the sensitive customers list, operations staff setting out sign boards in impacted areas and water quality staff conducting increased sampling,' said Renee Clark, water quality manager, in a report.

Staff must also develop media releases and respond to customers(sic) calls related to the event.  Even with all of that work, not everyone knows about the advisories.

'Many customers have indicated to Greater Vernon Water that they do no(sic) listen to the radio, watch TV, have the Internet, read the paper, go outside or understand that a notice may apply to them,' said Clark.  (Local media is ignored?  Ahem...advertorials from bureaucrats?  Outright lies on radio 'interviews', protecting past decisions by lying to the public?)

'In addition, the Kalamalka supply is more vulnerable as it supports most care facilities, the hospital, many schools and a large, elderly population.'  (Wonder if staff--during just such a labour intensive public notification--advise those same care facilities, the hospital, many schools and a large, elderly population that Duteau Creek's water is not only chlorinated, it contains Trihalomethanes and Aluminum.  Yup...right from your tap.  Trihalomethanes and Aluminum.  Why the hell are we putting up with those 'additives' in our tap water?  One man said 'I'm moving...fast', and wished residents well.)

Clark added that a boil advisory can also have economic implications for restaurants and hotels.  (The first inkling that GVW cares a smidgeon about ICI customers, by the way...they don't care whether we can afford to water our gardens...my bill was $850 for July/Aug/Sept growing vegetables in my garden...there wasn't $850 worth of food there!)

Support for switching water sources instead of issuing boil advisories comes from director Mike Macnabb.  (You know...the same Mike Macnabb that GVW bureaucrats appointed as the politician to head their water committee...why do we put up with these 'pure crap' announcements?).

'Staff are doing a great job and Interior Health Authority criteria are being met,' said Macnabb.

'What we have is a robust system to meet the health of the people on our system."  (To meet the health?  How about meeting the economic needs of people, as they do in Kelowna, where cancer-causing and Alzheimer-linked agents are not part of the chlorinating process?)

"Great boil water story on how to circle the wagons...among their like-minded brainwashed people," offers Kia.

And, yes, they're still using covered wagons.