A major Vernon business has been given more time to bring effluent discharges under control. On Monday, 
council extended an enforcement agreement with Okanagan Spring Brewery until June 30, 2008. “They have significant improvements planned in 2008 that will further reduce suspended solids,” said Shirley Koenig, operation services manager. A sanitary sewer use enforcement agreement was reached between the city and Okanagan Spring in May, and it was supposed to expire Dec. 31.The agreement was to provide the brewery with time to make changes to the downtown plant to reduce the strength of waste water discharged to the city’s sewer treatment plant.
Without the agreement, the company would be subject to city bylaws for high-strength waste water.City staff defended extending the agreement further, saying that the upgrades will make improvements to the strength of the waste water, water consumption and effluent flow. “There is a lot of work that needs to be done in a retrofit 
to bring them up to speed,” said Leon Gous, chief administrative officer.However, opposition came from Coun. Barry Beardsell.“They had the same problem in Ontario and they fixed it in fairly short 
order,” said Beardsell, adding that the waste water problem is placing pressure on the sewer plant.
“This is a cost to the taxpayer. The line has to be drawn in the sand somewhere.” Okanagan Spring officials told council that they are dedicated to tackling the effluent issue. “We’ve made significant changes with the amount of yeast that used to go down the drain. We continue to work and spend capital,” said Bill Morrison, engineering/maintenance manager.But Morrison admits that Okanagan Spring currently can’t meet ultimate standards.“We don’t have the space to put in a full treatment plant to deal with biological oxygen demand,” he said. City staff will also review bylaws to determine if amendments are required to reflect industrial development.
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