Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors are considering seeking out new wells to feed into the region’s water system as a way to help add to the Coast’s potable water supply.
During an Oct. 29 special committee meeting, SCRD directors asked for a staff report on the feasibility of undertaking an expanded groundwater test-drilling program in 2016.
While staff originally pitched a test-drilling program for 2017 that would seek out new water sources in the Chapman Lake reservoir area, Roberts Creek director Mark Lebbell wanted to expand the program’s reach and implement it sooner.
He said it would be “great to find the source close to the current treatment plant,” but that diversifying where the water comes from could make for a more resilient system.
“Understanding where the sources are beyond the Chapman system may influence the decision about where we build up our treatment capacity,” Lebbell said.
Bryan Shoji, general manager of infrastructure services, said the comprehensive regional water plan was specific about seeking out new groundwater sources in the Chapman Lake area.
“The reasoning for that is so that if treatment is required, it’s at the head of our system as well so it can just feed into the system without any additional treatment and all the infrastructure is there,” Shoji said, suggesting a staff report on the issue was warranted.
“There may be more opportunities to expand that scope and find high-quality wells that could inject straight into our transmission system.”
All directors were in favour of having staff prepare a report for the December infrastructure services committee regarding the feasibility of moving the test-drilling project into the 2016 budget, “with options of scope expansion including required budget and capacity.”
Directors discussed several other water-related initiatives proposed for the 2016 budget, including ways to access more water from the Chapman Lake reservoir and hooking up residents on the Coast to water meters, which will cost about $5.5 million over the next two years.
Sechelt director Bruce Milne asked staff to consider educating the public about water meters as part of that multi-million-dollar budget because some don’t understand that water will be found through metering by way of pinpointing leaks in the system.
Shoji assured Milne there was money and staff time set aside for that purpose.
“You need to do a bit of that as soon as possible,” Halfmoon Bay director Garry Nohr said.
“There’s this myth out there that a private company’s going to take over our water system and I’m getting asked continually. There was a big discussion about it at the [advisory planning commission] the other night. People are buying into it. I don’t know who’s sending it around, but you might want to move up your message.”
