Rushing to study water system

Ron Seymour 2009-06-23 Kelowna Daily Courier:

A $112,000 comprehensive review of the water supply and distribution system in Kelowna will go ahead, city councillors said Monday. Council decided to embark on the study even though the directors of four non-municipal water purveyors said they won‘t participate. “I‘m disappointed more than anything, because we are trying to look at a long-term vision for the system,” Mayor Sharon Shepherd said after Monday‘s regular council meeting. Shepherd suggested the study would still touch on areas of interest and concern to the the four water purveyors, even though the system operators have made it plain they don‘t see any benefit to them. “It would have been helpful to have their co-operation,” Shepherd said. “But staff have sufficient information to proceed.” The water study may seem to be a dry topic, but its loaded with political implications.

It‘s possible the review could recommend the city take over the non-municipal systems, which exist to serve residents of Rutland, Southeast Kelowna, Glenmore and Black Mountain. That‘s a prospect strongly resisted by the other water purveyors. “The district is not interested in pursuing the issue of governance,” said Joe Bulach, chair of the Glenmore-Ellison water system.
The water purveyors say they are more than capable of continuing to run their systems without any more oversight or control from the City of Kelowna. “We have never had a boil (water) order, or a water-quality advisory,” said Garry Zarr, chairman of the Rutland system.

Interior Health is moving toward higher water quality standards throughout the B.C. Interior. Upgrades to treatment and distribution could run into tens of millions of dollars, and the non-municipal systems may not qualify for senior government grants unless projects are endorsed by the City of Kelowna. The new municipality of West Kelowna will soon assume control of the area‘s two water systems, Lakeview Heights and Westbank irrigation districts.