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Another year of nothing

Letters

Editor:

To our elected SCRD members and any elected members involved in our water supply – congratulations! You have again managed to go through another year without accomplishing anything. This is not easy, so pat each other on the back.

Despite being helped by a large snow reservoir and living where rain falls some eight months of the year, we once again nearly ran out of water. And millions spent on water meters did not solve the problem. Why? Perhaps there were other motives.

We have all noticed the increase in traffic in the Sechelt area. Lots of heavy trucks, more houses being built. (Anyone who has tried to hire a contractor in the last year knows the Coast is busy.) Guess what? This means more water consumption, so conservation on that level is not realistic. (I could understand conservation if there were a building freeze.)

The majority of us are served by one little lake, which I am led to believe is not even secure. Is this responsible? In my opinion, it is not. I do sense a twinge of guilt as damage control is engaged. Now money will be spent on wells. It is easy to spend money, it involves little work and it looks like something is being done. Do you seriously think that wells will solve the long-term water shortage in a growing area?

It is time to do some serious long-term planning. If our elected representatives cannot do it, hire a competent engineering firm to review the options. It is a win-win. It will be in the hands of professionals and some useful ideas may come forward. It is time to move forward. If there is a strategy in the current thinking, it is so skinny that it is difficult to see, but then my eyesight is not that great.

Max Haugen, Halfmoon Bay