Water source protection, community drinking water safety, master water plans and identifying drinking water sources across the Sunshine Coast are some of the ongoing concerns facing the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
To meet the demand and the challenges of being responsible for the Coast's water and the multi-barrier approach to water safety required to protect Sunshine Coast communities, the SCRD created the watershed committee. On Feb. 21, with an audience of about 10 community members, the committee held its initial meeting. One of the first decisions needed was to determine under whose wing the committee would fall and in what context. It was decided that the new committee will be a monthly sub-committee of the SCRD infrastructure committee. Although watershed and water issues cross practically all SCRD departments and committees, they particularly pertain to the infrastructure committee. That is where it will make the most sense for staff time and resources to come from in supporting the work of the committee and its directors. As SCRD chief administrative officer John France told the committee, you can't create something and not have it take time, money and resources.
The committee's terms of reference include a list of its functions, allowing that these functions may be added to as time goes on. For now some of the main areas of responsibility include water source protection, watershed management, including use of the watersheds, and working with other government bodies.
An important component of the first meeting was an overview of the board's watershed activities since 2000 that were highlighted in a report by France. It gave a detailed breakdown of the work done by the SCRD since last summer when the board convened as a Local Board of Health and the follow-up work taking place trying to secure water source protection for the Chapman Creek watershed. France also listed current watershed activities such as the development of a stakeholder committee for Chapman Creek based on the recommendations out of the Triton Report, participation in a drinking water team that will give local government procedures and options for addressing watershed issues in an integrated and collaborative manner and a drinking water protection plan that is being developed and is still to be presented to the SCRD. Some other actions include a dialogue with Columbia National Investments on securing the right-of-way to the intake system and finding ways to participate in the office of the ombudsman's drinking water assessment that is currently underway.
During the meeting, a number of other issues came up that the committee will be dealing with. One such issue was raised by Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk who asked France if the SCRD can guarantee the community safe potable water. France told Janyk that while the SCRD takes a multi-barrier approach to protecting water and ensuring its safety, there is no realistic way for the SCRD to give anyone 100 per cent assurance.
Two other relevant issues were BC Timber Sales (BCTS) cutblocks in Waugh Lake and Tsain-Ko logging in both Waugh Lake and Ruby Lake watershed areas. Pender Harbour/Egmont director John Rees said there is an interesting trend taking place with BCTS. Rees said this is the second time BCTS has had cutblocks available, but no bidders. "The industry is becoming aware of the SCRD," said Rees, adding BCTS should realize that it is wasting time and our money when it keeps putting blocks up for tender and the industry shows no interest in taking on that challenge.
Rees said about three weeks ago, Tsain-Ko started logging in the Waugh Lake and Ruby Lake watersheds and building roads.
