The city of Vernon is taking steps to make it easier to dispose of treated effluent into Okanagan Lake, in the event of emergencies. Mayor Wayne Lippert says the city currently has to give one year's notice of discharges into the lake. He tells KISS FM, "We legally can dump into the lake right now. There's nothing stopping us from doing that but the notification process that says we need to give 12 months notice.And what this will do, instead of 12 months, it will bring it down to a closer time frame." Lippert says one month's notice would be more efficient when it comes to planning for floods or other emergencies. He says there's no plans to use the controversial outfall pipe, but with the new treatment facility the paperwork has to be revised. There's only been one discharge into the lake in the last 20 years. The mayor feels Vernon is being treated differently than other Okanagan communities."Vernon is the only municipality on the lake that does not put any treated effluent into the lake that I'm aware of. All of the others do."
Most of the city's reclaimed wastewater is used as irrigation on two thousand acres of agricultural, silvaculture and recreational land. In 1987, an action was brought against the City to prohibit it from using its deep water outfall.
Although an injunction was dismissed against the City, it has been subject to a court undertaking not to discharge to Okanagan Lake except under certain circumstances, until the trial of the action. In the ensuing years, no trial has taken place, yet the court undertaking has remained in place for nearly 20 years. (Pete McIntyre) Click on Cartoon to enlarge !
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