Mayor's Report - May 2005

During the discussion period following presentation of the 2005 municipal budget and five-year financial plan on April 18^th, a member of the Belcarra Water Users’ Association inquired about the cost of bringing ‘GVRD water’ into Belcarra. That question under-scores the current need for a comprehensive study of the various water distribution options and associated costs.

A lot has changed since the May 2000 water contamination incident in Walkerton, Ontario. In BC, the regulatory environment has significantly changed. Last year, the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection announced that the provincial government had enacted the Ground Water Protection Regulation (GWPR) designed to protect BC’s ground water resource. The GWPR deals with aspects of well construction that significantly enhance ground water protection — that is, installing effective surface seals around wells, securely capping and flood-proofing wells, and permanently closing unused wells to protect ground water quality.

Water-user groups are now also considered to be water utilities under provincial regulations with added new responsibilities. This has meant a significant change to the operation and maintenance issues faced by water-user groups. It’s no longer just about “pipes and pumps”. Water quality and service provider liability must now be considered.

There are a number of questions that need to be investigated as part of such a study, a key question being the proposed service area. How broad is the interest?

• ~40 properties serviced by the Belcarra Water Users’ Association;
• ~85 properties between Bedwell Bay Road and Whiskey Cove Lane;
• ~110 properties between Midden Road and the end of Coombe Lane;
• ~265 properties overall (excluding Cosy Cove, Farrer Cove and Twin Islands).

A comprehensive study of the water distribution options and associated costs will be a costly engineering project, but it’s time to obtain reliable and current “numbers” to facilitate informed decision-making. Accordingly, I’m proposing that a referendum be included during the fall municipal elections seeking endorsement by Belcarra’s property owners to undertake the requisite comprehensive water distribution study. This is a large decision for Belcarra residents, so let’s do it right!

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