NEWS
RELEASE-Citizens for Changes to the Master Water Plan
November
24th, 2015
The
story on page 5a in Sunday's Morning Star titled "OK source includes
hurdles" clearly points to the need for independent consultation in
the Stakeholders' Review of the Master Water Plan. The reported comments by
RDNO staff and Greater Vernon Water Management reflect entrenched biases in
favor of continuing the present direction of the MWP. To offer reasoned
balance, these comments require an alternative perspective unreported at the
time. (The Morning Star story is reprinted at the bottom of this page).
Further,
the timing of this public commentary by RDNO staff and GVW management on these
matters is inappropriate, given that these topics are currently under
consideration by the duly selected Stakeholders' Advisory Committee in their
review of the MWP.
Last
Thursday morning, The SAC was treated to a refreshingly open and frank
presentation by Mr.Rod McLean P.Eng with Associate Engineering, author of
Technical Memoranda 2, 3, and 5 of the 2012 MWP. Mr. McLean was supportive of a
second look at the value of including Okanagan Lake as the most viable primary
drinking water source for Greater Vernon's domestic water customers. Our
neighbor cities to the South have successfully and without serious treatment
issues of any kind, been using Okanagan Lake for drinking water for some years
now and were successful at receiving treatment deferral from IHA. This means
that Okanagan Lake water is considered by the Water Safety authority to be just
as acceptable as the drinking water we currently receive from the Kal Lake
supply, and at half the current rates we pay.
Engineer McTaggart refers to " the lack of scientific studies on water in the northern arm".
While an update to the 135 page study of Water Quality Objectives in Okanagan Lake is called for, this study released in 2005, supports, with appropriate management, the continued development of Okanagan Lake for drinking water, and other domestic uses as a viable alternative. This study includes an analysis of water quality in the northern arm.
In
light of the increasingly precarious use of high cost treated potable water
used in irrigation of forage crops as well as a redundant source of drinking
water to the community at large, the use of OK Lake as source should be further
investigated.
The
risk of Trihalomethane contamination which can occur when chlorine mixes with
organic matter, is also, a clear and present danger to public health in using
Duteau Creek water from upland sources, remains high without the intervention
of expensive treatment levels to the present water supply.
Our
prime drinking water source now is Kalamalka Lake which with its low cost
treatment regimen, more than meets IHA drinking water safety standards. The
same regimen which involves low level chlorine and ultraviolet treatment,
comparable to that currently employed in Kelowna and Penticton, will achieve
IHA drinking water safety standards.
There
may well be other minor treatment, construction and financial issues other than
those discussed, which require management of the Okanagan Lake resource, but
these pale compared with the present and proposed high cost management of water
supplied and treated at the Duteau Creek Treatment Plant.
It
may well be that new challenges such as mussel infestation and sensitivity
issues will occur. But there is a great deal of experience to be referred to
from many North American communities regarding effective management of these
concerns.
For
example, these concerns can be reasonably handled with relocation of intake
pipes to depths where mussels cannot colonize and with application of new
piping and pumping technology and other preventative measures such as vigorous
inspection and pre-entry interception, negative effects to the water supply
system from any invasive species can be minimized.
Use of fear-based biased hyperbole in the press, by those who are mandated to provide support to a non-professional community based Stakeholders' Committee only undermines the ability for this Committee to achieve its goal of achieving an objective and constructive review of the Master Water Plan.
The Citizens for Change to the Master Water Plan reiterates its call for an independent consultant to help guide this process to a successful conclusion.
Terry Mooney, Chair, CCMWP
Member
SAC
Contact
Information: Terry Mooney, 250-542-2847, email temo@telus.net
And here the Morning Star story:
Okanagan Lake may not necessarily be the answer to Greater Vernon’s water demands.
Members of the master water plan stakeholders advisory committee were told Thursday that costly treatment processes will still be needed if the Okanagan Lake source is tapped.
“It will not likely be just chlorination and ultraviolet. There will be treatment,” said Dale McTaggart, Regional District of North Okanagan’s general manager of engineering.
While communities in the central and southern parts of the valley use Okanagan Lake for water, McTaggart says there are no scientific studies on water quality in the northern arm.
One possibility from using Okanagan Lake is trihalomethanes, a group of compounds that can form when the chlorine used to disinfect drinking water reacts with naturally occurring organic matter (decaying leaves and vegetation), according to Health Canada.
To avoid such situations, Zee Marcolin, Greater Vernon Water manager, says water pipes would have to be extended far out into the lake’s main arm and such a proposition could be expensive for the utility.
The other issue is that GVW is running into challenges getting provincial approval to access water from Okanagan Lake.
“It’s been a year-and-a-half and they haven’t even come to the table provincially,” said Marcolin of trying to obtain a water license.
“We’re in a holding pattern.”
One possible reason for the hold-up is that Greater Vernon may not need Okanagan Lake water for 50 years.
“It’s a low priority for them (province) because it’s not something you need right now,” said Rod MacLean, with Associated Engineering.
It was also suggested that provincial departments are short-staffed and facing demands from communities with immediate water issues.
While there have been suggestions of abandoning Duteau Creek for domestic use, Marcolin says it could still be needed if quagga and zebra mussels show up in Kalamalka and Okanagan lakes.
“With Kal Lake, the risk is high because of very high calcium levels. It’s the perfect environment (for the invasive species),” she said, adding that Duteau Creek has low calcium levels so its risk is reduced.
These mussels clog water intake pipes, pumps and boat motors. They also deplete food sources for fish and produce toxins that kill fish and birds and contaminate drinking water.
"Fear-based hyperbole," admits Kia, "got the water utility this far, but the newspaper wasn't always so clearly on their laps."
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