Water treatment - Another approach.

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Selected Morning Star Newsclips - In case you missed them.

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SAC members could have learned a lot by asking the politicians why they publicly rejected the referendum during their election campaign after they supported the MWP. They could have saved a lot of time.  Even Director Macnabb wondered about why there was a change of heart by many of the politicians:

“To turn around and say they support the plan, but not the $70 million to fund it is disingenuous in my mind,” Said Director Macnabb (read all)

As it happened the Staff supported Option 2 prevailed, eliminating all of the options that would have used Kalamalka and Okanagan lakes for fully separated domestic supplies. Never mind the threat of climate change and higher treatment costs. 

The process will totally dismantle the original VID irrigation system and replace it with a complicated new system. There will be three supply lines (domestic only from Mission Hill, mixed irrigation/domestic water from the Duteau Treatment Plant and a new untreated irrigation water supply directly from Harvey Lake). All those systems will be the financial responsibility of the domestic customers. They will pay the cost of construction, operation and maintenance and the replacement value of the total system. The current 4% agriculture contribution of the total budget is a smidgen of those costs. 

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Water storage update!

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RDNO Press release --Irrigation water turn-on.

 

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Duteau Creek water supply report - Latest report on Duteau reservoir (October 6, 2010)

Reservoir levels started to rise giving rise to optimism for a good start next spring.

Candidates cannot get information from Coldstream's Administration.

Funny thing happened to me today. Let me share. Two days ago I made an appointment with the Director of Financial Administration of Coldstream to discuss issues relating to the water devolution (the issues arising from the City of Vernon's decision to pull out of water distribution). Today my appointment was canceled. Reason? No candidate should have more information than the rest of them.

Of course, there are five incumbents in the race for Council. How are we taking the information they already have away from them? Don't they have a tremendous advantage over the rest of us by having all sorts of in-camera information not shared with the rest of us?

Obviously, the consequences of the devolution are significant for Coldstream and the Electoral Areas with respect to cost sharing of infrastructure construction and possible differential water rates.

Had we followed the time tested route of financing infrastructure through taxation, there would be no problem. All jurisdictions would continue contributing their share of financing through taxation and each jurisdiction would decide how much they should charge for water based on the treatment and delivery to the customers. The problems arising from combining infrastructure costs into water rates just hit home with this problem.

When we examine how we constructed the fire halls, the Multiplex, the Theatre, and even the sewer extension from McClounie to Aberdeen Road using taxation one wonders why this method was not used for the water infrastructure.

The main beneficiaries of the water infrastructure to date are the new developments on the Rise, Turtle Mountain and others. Yet, they are contributing almost nothing to this new infrastructure as the empty (but expensive) lots do not use water. Had we used taxation based financing they would also contribute to the burden. Incidentally, since we only borrowed $13 million to date our taxes would be relatively insignificant and only would have started in 2005 (see taxation).

Even though my appointment was canceled the Director agreed that had we used taxation financing our problems would be greatly reduced (with regards to the resolution of the devolution).

Now, since I have this extra knowledge through due diligence I am sharing the information with the rest of the candidates (if they care to read it) so I would have no undue advantage in the race. Thank you for your interest.

Gyula

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Finally, first step to clean water -- Editorial, MS.

Published: October 09, 2008 6:00 PM
Updated: October 09, 2008 6:24 PM

There is now a glimmer of hope for the many Greater Vernon residents who crinkle their nose at a rust and debris filled bathtub or fight to keep white clothes from fading to a yellowy-brown hue.

That hope comes from news that the long-awaited Duteau Creek water treatment plant is finally breaking ground.

One would think we had been waiting for this announcement for years.

The fact is, we have.

The project has been on the books for so long that the initial announcement has become a distant memory for many.

Since that first announcement, residents have spent years buying bottled water, dealing with constant boil water advisories and pleading for the day when they can pour a glass of water from the tap and actually drink it.

But more so, residents have also been forking over the funds to pay for this project. Meanwhile they feel as though their money is going down the drain because they have yet to see a drop of clear water.

Unfortunately, even with the latest ground-breaking news, the day when orange water becomes history is years off. The plant still has to be built and it will take a bit of time to get things working properly.

But the fact that the project is finally going somewhere is great news for everyone.

It provides some hope for all of the Duteau Creek water source users.

Although this step should have happened long ago, no one could have predicted the delays caused by environmental assessments and Indian band approvals.

So out of everyone who is happy to hear the news, it is Gary Corner who is likely happiest.

Not only is this something he wanted to see started before his term as Coldstream mayor and Greater Vernon Services chairman ends, he is the one who has had to listen to all of us complain about it for years.

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