A Primer on Water

The District of Lake Country is guided by our vision to ensure the ongoing supply of SAFE, sustainable water. Water SAFE means:

• Safe
  
• Affordable
  
• For our community and our
  
• Environment
  

We have a number of issues and I wish to address them by using the Primer on Water prepared by our very capable Water staff.

Quantity - Sufficient Supplies:

Because of the form and character of our community we need and use a lot of water. The good news is that we have a number of robust surface sources available for supply. The District has adopted a stewardship approach to properly manage and protect our source waters. Our aim is to ensure sufficient water is available especially through drought periods and that source water quality is improved and maintained over time.

Infrastructure Reliability:

Our water system infrastructure is growing and reinvestment is required to refurbish or replace pipes and facilities. The total replacement cost for District-owned water utility assets is estimated at one hundred million dollars. As a community we all have an ownership stake in District-owned assets. District staff are completing a strategy to replace infrastructure over time on a priority basis.

Appropriate Quality:

The District relies entirely on surface water sources for supply drawing from Okanagan, Kalamalka, Beaver and Oyama Lakes. Water is disinfected with chlorine but no other treatment is currently provided. The Interior Health Authority has developed a directive based on the guideless for Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines requiring primary treatment in addition to chlorine disinfection. Implementing treatment is expensive and a challenge, as funding the needed capital improvements falls to the community.

What have we done?

Water Master & Capital Works Plans:

Following through on the Water Master and Capital Works Plans for Okanagan, Beaver, Kalamalka and Oyama Lake sources for 1998 to 2008.

Eldorado Reservoir Capital Work Project:

Eliminating dangerous hydraulic instability and improving water quality.

Okanagan Pumphouse Capital Work Project:

Retrofitting the Okanagan Lake Pumphouse and improving supply, capacity and reliability.

Operator Certifications:

Our Operators are investing significant time in training to increase skills and achieve higher certifications.

Water Quality Monitoring:

Carry out comprehensive sampling within the distribution system and watershed: chemistry, bacteriological and nutrients.

Utilizing automated computer systems, monitoring chlorine stations and reservoirs.

Watershed Protection:

Completed Watershed Assessment and Protection plans for Oyama and Beaver Lakes as well as Source to Tap Protection Plans for Kalamalka and Okanagan Lake Intakes and continue working with other stakeholders, reducing risks and improving conditions in DLC community watersheds.

What are We Doing?

Long-term Planning - Water Master Plan:

We are undertaking a comprehensive 20-year plan addressing: water availability, growth, water quality (treatment), fire protection, agriculture and aging infrastructure.

Improvements:

We are striving to improve customer communications by improving our website, preparing customer mail outs and increasing utilization of the local media; we are upgrading automated systems; and we are completing an implementation plan for watershed and intake protection.

Operational Improvements for the Kalamalka-Oyama Interconnect:

We are undertaking a $5 million project to improve water quality and quantity on the Oyama and Kalamalka Lake sources; we are constructing interconnect and improved pipe line to supply water from the Kalamalka Lake to Oyama Lake distribution; we are upgrading the Kalamalka Lake pump station with ultraviolet light treatment system; and installing a new chlorination station and reservoir to increase quantity and quality.

If you have any questions please call Greg Buchholz, Manager of Operations at our Municipal Office at 250-766-5650.

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