The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) is taking steps to assess the quality of a key Greater Vernon drinking water source, in light of staff concerns that appear to include a controversial septic field and others that are lacking oversight.
The RDNO issued a request for proposals (RFP) on July 15, seeking consulting services for a land use and water quality impact assessment of the Coldstream Creek watershed.
The assessment project will support the Kalamalka Lake source water protection plan for Greater Vernon Water. The RFP documents note that Kal Lake is one of the area's primary drinking water sources, providing most of the domestic water supply for about 65,000 people. Coldstream Creek is the lake's main tributary, providing 80 per cent of its inflow, and the document says water quality in the creek directly impacts local drinking water quality.
"The RDNO is completing this project as a recent preliminary review of land use changes in the last five years has highlighted new domestic, agricultural and industrial developments, that could negatively impact water quality in Coldstream Creek," the documents state.
The documents highlight four broad concerns. The first is that a number of files from provincial agencies on properties adjacent to Coldstream Creek, or close to drainages and tributaries feeding into the creek, have failed to adequately account for impacts to the creek.
Secondly, the RFP touches upon the topic of septic systems 香蕉视频直播� a controversial subject in recent months. It says a number of septic fields for high-density housing have been installed close to Coldstream Creek or drainages which were signed off by an authorized person, "but Interior Health has confirmed they do not review or approve and only 'file,' hence there is no oversight on these systems."
This concern has already reared its head in recent months. In February The Morning Star investigated RDNO staff concerns about a proposed housing project by VegPro International on Coldstream's Ricardo Road. Staff were worried that VegPro's septic system is too close to Coldstream Creek to be able to handle an additional two buildings housing up to 96 more seasonal workers, and that drinking water quality for the area could be at risk if the project goes ahead. In response to , the RDNO, Interior Health, the District of Coldstream and the Ministry of Environment all said they did not have the authority to approve or not approve the septic system.
The RDNO has as the company looks to compel the regional district to issue a Proof of Water certificate through the legal system and open the door its housing project to move forward.
The RDNO appears to have adopted a cautious stance when it comes to protecting drinking water quality. It has had a stronger mandate to do so since 2012, when it was found guilty of not providing potable water and allowing contamination to enter the drinking water system after illegally spread manure found its way into a well, resulting in about 2,000 people losing their water for about two weeks.
The RFP document also highlights that other land uses of concern have been approved by various agencies. These include the application of liquid effluent, large-scale composting facilities, gravel pits and liquid waste disposal to the ground. It adds that land applications are being approved by different agencies "in isolation with no consideration of cumulative impacts." These concerns from RDNO staff imply the need for a more systematic regulatory scheme overseeing land activity that could affect drinking water quality.
Over the past five years, Greater Vernon Water has seen "unprecedented cyanobacteria blooms at the Kalamalka Lake intake," and Kal Beach was closed for the first time in 2024 due to high E.coli counts, the documents state.
The study the RDNO is seeking consultants for will update a 2017 land use vulnerability study. Its primary objective is to identify hazards, prioritize risks and provide a guidance document for Greater Vernon Water and the newly formed Kalamalka Lake Regional Working Group (a partnership between the RDNO, District of Lake Country and Okanagan Indian Band focused on safeguarding drinking water and Kal Lake).
Consultants can submit a response to the RFP until Aug. 15.
