South East water upgrades defeated

CHBC Thursday, October 25, 2012 5:00 AM
  A proposal for a multi-million dollar upgrade to the South East Irrigation District’s water system has been defeated.  Residents hooked up to the system were asked whether they wanted to borrow more than $15 million for the upgrades through the alternative approval process. “The AAP required ten percent or more of eligible voters to register their opposition to the bylaw to prevent the bylaw from moving forward,” says SEKID manager, Toby Pike. “With 3,309 landowners eligible to vote, the ten percent threshold required 330 responses. At the closing of the AAP period October 25, 2012, one thousand and sixty-five (1,065) responses were received, representing 32% of eligible voters.”

He says the purpose of the bylaw was to help fund the $22.3 million water quality improvement project in order to fully comply with health regulations.  “SEKID has been working hard for several years to find the best way to upgrade its domestic water system,” says board chair Brian Wright. “We are disappointed we cannot move forward with the project at this time. The message we have heard time and again is that the community is in favour of the project but are not willing to move forward without government funding assistance.“ He says SEKID has met with government but there’s been no firm commitment for funding.  He says the defeat of the borrowing bylaw means the district is unable to comply with the Conditions on Permit required by Interior Health on the district’s operating permit.  “Without the ability to borrow money to fund the project we are not in compliance with our operating permit issued by the health authority,” says Pike. “We will have to sit down with Interior Health and see what our options are for moving forward.” Residents would have seen their monthly water toll rates climb to $114 per month, triple the current rate had the bylaw been approved.