June 2011 Faulder water update
Submitted by Michael Brydon on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 08:56
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Bad news: I just got a forwarded email from the Ministry of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development that the RDOS application for a Towns for Tomorrow grant was not approved (see previous update). We plan to appeal with Minister Chong because we believe that we originally had ministry support for this project. We will let you know if we have any success with this. The good news is that the heavy run-off seems to have resulted in substantial recharge to the aquifer. Although it is not high by historical standards, it buys us some time to continue looking for ways to get reliable water to Faulder. One possibility that has been mentioned in the past is a prison in an unpopulated area between Summerland and Faulder. It is clear (and has been clear for some time) that the majority of Okanagan residents do not want a prison, at least not within the boundaries of Penticton or Summerland. A rural prison may or may not be a different story. Naturally, the prison in such a location would require reliable water (most likely supplied by Summerland), so possibilities for cost sharing could exist. All this is very speculative at this point (who knows what the Province is thinking on this matter), but am looking for some feedback regarding whether to investigate the prison idea further or drop it right now. Please let me know what you are thinking using the comment feature below or at mbrydon@rdos.bc.ca
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August 2011 update
We (me, RDOS staff, Chair Ashton and Speaker Barisoff) met with Minister Chong on June 24, 2011, to discuss the Faulder water/Towns for Tomorrow grant situation. The Ministry of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development (CSCD) oversees relationships with local governments, grants, and so on.
As I see it, the core issue is the following: The best overall solution for both Faulder and Summerland is the pipeline to Summerland. However, the cheapest solution for Faulder may be the Ranney well + filtration system adjacent to Trout Creek. We cannot ask Faulder residents to pay more for a solution that mostly benefits Summerland so, if the Province wants the best overall solution, it will have to cover the cost difference between the pipeline and the Ranney well.
I think Minister Chong understand this reasoning and Mr. Barisoff is certainly supportive. The bad news is that decision making at the provincial level has ground to a complete halt pending the outcome of the HST referendum. The good news is that the recharge of the aquifer buys us some time—we can afford to wait and see how this plays out.
My current plan is to meet with the Minister at the Union of BC Municipalities meeting in Vancouver in September and re-plead our case for additional provincial support. Since we appear to have enough water to make it though the summer, and since the amount of money at stake is significant, I think it is worth pushing our case a bit harder. My hope is to get Summerland involved as well—after all, they stand to benefit from the pipeline.
Of course, if the HST is extinguished, my guess is that all bets are off. The Province will be in too big a hole to worry about infrastructure grants.
Uranium levels
I have had a number of questions from residents about the level of uranium in the well given the magnitude of the 2011 refresh. The following is from Rob Palmer, the RDOS environmental technician:
Click here for a graphical version of the full chemical analysis.