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qathet Regional District to study water connection

Report will outline connecting to city water source
Hammil Lake Powell River
At a recent qathet Regional District board meeting, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne promoted Hammil Lake as the cheaper option to look at in a regional potable water transmission line feasibility study. Powell River Peak archive photo

qathet Regional District will spend $45,000 for a regional potable water transmission line feasibility study.

At the July 30 regional board meeting, directors considered a motion that the amount for the study be amended from $25,000 to $45,000, with an additional $20,000 allocated from the electoral area feasibility studies reserve and including a $5,000 contingency.

The study, to look at connecting regional district residents south of Powell River to municipal water, was originally budgeted at $25,000, but the lowest quote came in at about $70,000. The regional district negotiated with Associated Engineering, the lowest bidder, and came up with the $45,000 figure, to just look at connecting to the city water source.

Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said the project was originally proposed with a budget of $25,000, to examine extending the water from the city limits to Centennial Drive as phase one, and potentially all of the way to Saltery Bay. He said the regional board of the day decided that was not within the scope of what the board wanted to do, so the board requested the study include from the city limits to the south end of Centennial Drive. He said the original proposal called for looking at connecting to the city source, the deep wells at the Myrtle Creek pond system and Hammil Lake.

Gisborne said he wanted to reference a 2009 water study commissioned by the regional district and asked if it was the pleasure of the board if he could reference that study and some of the information.

Electoral Area A director and board chair Patrick Brabazon asked if there was an objection to Gisborne reading from the report and then said he objected.

“I would like to move on the issue that’s before us,” said Brabazon. “Can you please confine your remarks to what’s before us?”

Gisborne said he would. He said the scope of the project approved by the board was from the city limits to the south end of Centennial Drive.

“I pulled out the request for proposals that we are now talking about amending,” said Gisborne. He said the study, for the three water sources, came in around $70,000.

“For the study for the city source, we’re budgeting $45,000,” said Gisborne. “To me, that indicates the study with Hammil Lake and the deep wells will cost another $25,000.”

He said he was wondering why the regional board was studying the city option, which was the most expensive.

Gisborne said the second question pertains to a problem the regional district has before it. He said he spoke with the provincial water management branch and was told that regarding Haslam Lake, which is the city’s potable water source, the city is not allowed to sell water beyond the service boundary.

“Even if we have a pipe right now connected to the city limits, they are not allowed to sell us water under that licence,” said Gisborne. “I’m wondering why we are going to spend more money to study the city source when they might not even be able to sell us the water?

“Hammil Lake is the cheaper option, from the 2009 study, and it’s the cheaper option to study.”

Gisborne said he had a memo from staff from 2005, which included correspondence from the water management branch, saying water licences cannot be held for speculative use. Gisborne has said the city holds a water licence at Hammil Lake.

“You have to use it or lose it,” said Gisborne. “My understanding is the city has pulled its pipes out of the ground at Hammil Lake, so it’s not being used. There’s concern from residents that the lake is going to become abused or neglected and I think what we should do is look at getting the water licence for Hammil Lake and protecting the watershed and environment. We should pursue Hammil Lake as the most cost-effective option.”

Gisborne said even if the regional district acquired the Hammil Lake water licence to provide non-potable use for farmers, he said he thinks that would be a step in the right direction to protect the community.

“The regional district should get the licence to Hammil Lake so someone else doesn’t get it,” said Gisborne.

The regional board voted in favour of the revised study, with Gisborne opposed.