Field Trip - Ymir Treatment System

As part of my own little field-trip day, I visited the water treatment system at Ymir. This is a small community of 200+ people between Nelson and Salmo. It gets it's water from a surface supply (a stream west of town) and has a new treatment system operated by RDCK.

The Regional District took over Ymir's water system a few years ago, and installed a modern treatment system. I visited the plant with one of the RDCK's techs who was there to do some routine testing.

The plant pumps stream water through 3 large tanks that contain sand filters, then through a set of 5 micron and 1 micron cartridge filters, then through a set of parallel UV tubes and finally past a chlorine injector system. All system parameters are monitored in real time and the computer controlling this can be accessed by the techs from any of their computers.

Some pictures of the inside of the treatment plant are here.

RDCK has had, up to this fall, 16 water systems that they manage. After this fall/winter, they will be adding 3 more systems.

Conferring with Interior Health

Took part of the day Wednesday to go on a bit of a field trip. One objective was to see the water treatment at Ymir (see next post), and the second objective was to meet with Renee Ansell, Interior Health's Water Safety Officer.

The meeting in Nelson was quite productive; it was useful to discuss some of the issues we're looking at with our water system. We discussed how we might best consider a Cross Contamination Control Program (CCCP), where the most likely sources of contamination might be and what would be effective ways to deal with them.

We also talked briefly about a couple of possible maintenance issues and potential upgrades and what we would need to do before we start those projects.

It was also nice to hear that our water system is well-regarded in the way we operate our system. Always nice to know the regulator is happy with what we're doing.

Setting the Record Straight - Again!

The Society has decided to respond to recent allegations about our water meter project by issuing the following statement:

"It has been brought to our attention that an election campaign worker has been making inaccurate allegations about the water meter project in Pine Ridge Subdivision. The facts are: meters were approved by a very substantial majority vote of Water Society members at it's 2007 AGM; the Provincial ombudsman dismissed one complaint, finding our process fair, democratic and transparent; the meters meet all required certifications; the Regional District's building department has no issues with our meters. For accurate information about this project, please contact the Society."

We're not sure why or how this became connected with municipal elections, but we suppose stranger things have happened. As has been said elsewhere....people who disagree with you are entitled to their own opinions...but not their own facts.

For the full, much longer story, read this earlier post....

Water Meters - Four Years On

This is the long version of the Society's progress through our water meter project, started back in 2007, written to provide some historical perspective and a reminder of how much work such a project involves. One starting point: the Water Society is owned by it's members which includes property owners in the Subdivision. Homeowners must become members before they can connect to the water system. There are some members who have not built homes on their lots yet, but the vast majority of Society members live in their homes in the subdivision. There is an elected Board that manages the water system and a number of members volunteer to help maintain and operate the system on a day-to-day basis.

The Basic Chronology:

Summer of 2007 - at the Annual General Meeting of Society members, it was voted by a large majority to proceed with water meters and to investigate possible grants to help with the costs.

Summer of 2008 - during this summer, most meters were installed. Some went inside homes, some went in underground boxes near the street shut-off valves. In all cases, the work was done to accommodate homeowners. Some did not want the meters inside their homes and they were accommodated. In a couple of instances, inside locations would have been difficult to use. In one or two cases, there were yard standpipes between the street and the house so we didn't interfere with those either. By fall, most connections were on water meters. During this time, information was sent to all members addressing, once again, the reasons for meters, how the billing would work and so on. Federal Grant money was obtained that paid for many of the costs of the project.

Calendar year 2009 - during this year, meters were read quarterly and "sample statements" were sent to all residents indicating what their water use was and what it would cost assuming the rate structure was approved by the members. During this year, all connections were billed using the flat rate system, using a rate that had been in effect since 2003.

AGM 2009 - at the annual AGM, the proposed rate structure was presented to the members and it was approved by a nearly unaminous vote. The approved rate structure was used in our application to the Water Comptroller in Victoria and was allowed. Also during this time, the meters helped to identify a few water leaks that had been previously unknown.

Calendar year 2010 - the new rate structure took effect at the beginning of 2010. The rate structure included a daily connection rate and three levels based on quarterly consumption.

Calendar year 2011 - one outside meter was moved inside to a resident's basement, a new house was constructed which involved substantial discussion about metering, again, and the Society approved, at it's AGM, the first real rate incrrease since 2003.

Why We Meter:

The decision to install water meters was based on several considerations:

1) To help reduce water use - this is not because we worry about the amount of water in Kootenay Lake, but how much water we can store in our reservoir, our pumping capacity and the cost and work associated with supplying our water. Our system is run by a relatively small number of volunteers who do all the work, subsidizing, by their labours, everyone who contributes nothing.

2) Water is a commodity - we pay for other commodities based on how much we use. There is no reason why water should be treated any differently.

3) Fairness - everyone who uses smaller amounts of water is subsidizing the relative few who use lots more water, as long as we remain on a flat rate system.

Opposition to Meters:

Obviously, not everyone saw the need for meters from the outset, and a small but vocal minority has seized on every opportunity and every argument, no matter how farfetched, to oppose the project. The arguments, basically, have been as follows:

1) There is lots of water in Kootenay Lake. True, but that's the problem. It's in the Lake, 400 feet below where it's used, and it costs money to operate the infrastructure to pump, filter and treat this water. Everyone should be payng their fair share of these costs, based on how much water they are using.

2) Meters were forced on us. Not true. This was the most democratic, fair and open process imaginable (see above). PRWUS is a privately owned system and members voted to abopt water meters. There was no pressure on us from the outside and we had no discussions with anyone from outside about the project.

3) The meters aren't certified. Again, not true. They aren't CSA certified, but, as parts of the water distribution system, they don't need to be, unlike plumbing fixtures which DO need to be CSA approved. The meters are ANSI/NSF 61 certified and AWWA C700 certified. If you want to know what these are, just ask.

4) Just run the pumps 24/7/365 if you need more water. Surely, this can't be a serious suggestion. Perhaps it makes sense if you're not involved in volunteering to help run the system (cleaning filters, maintaining the system), or contributing your fair share of the operational costs (hydro, chlorine, filters), or dealing with the replacement costs in a system that is over 30 years old and would wear out even faster if used in this way.

5) Water meters are just a money grab. Not true. For FY 2010, the total revenue is almost exactly the same as it was before meters. True, some people pay more, but others pay less, just like anything else. It should be pointed out that our Society, like most small water systems in BC, does not have enough money put aside to deal with a major breakdown or catastrophe. Almost no water systems are charging enough for their water now. Systems recently taken over by the Regional District are paying 2 to 3 times as much as we are. We are constantly being encouraged by Victoria to make sure we are charging enough $$ to pay for future repairs to the system.

6) We don't like meters. Fair enough. I'd rather not have my electricty metered. Honest, I'd be careful about my use of power. Right.

At one point during the meter project, one resident filed a complaint with the Provincial Ombudsman. The complaint was rejected once the Ombudsman learned about the process the Society had followed (see above). At another point, a local plumber refused to work with the meters because he claimed they were not CSA approved. This has been settled. We also have - in writing - the Regional District's Building Department's position on water meters and our right, as the water utility, to choose our equipment and install it as we see fit. Appeals have been made to the Water Comptroller in Victoria opposing meters in certain residences. The Comptroller suggested that we could put the meters outside and charge the owners for the additional cost. We didn't go that far, although we could have.

In summary, it's been a long, sometimes tiring journey, but we can't imagine turning back. Meters for water are coming, even to this part of BC. Water quality regulations mean that supplying water to the public can't be done the way it was 50 years ago. Most people who look at this issue sensibly and rationally, will arrive at the same conclusion as we did.

Other Water Systems

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit and examine a small water system in a neighbourhood near ours. This system services approximately the same number of homes as ours and it attracted my attention because they had recently spent quite a sum of money improving the infrastructure that was in place there.

Basically, their project involved extending the intakes of their pumps well out into the lake and to a depth of around 100 ft (a requirement of Interior Health) as well as building a new control system, building and treatment process.

The main piping used was schedule 80 PVC and the treatment uses UV only with a turbidity meter. The cost of the improvements was in the neighbourhood of $150,000.

What this system still does not have is a decent reservoir for storage. I didn't see what was in place, but I was told that there were two small tanks with a combined capacity of around 10,000 gallons. Because of the single treatment process (UV), they had to install a turbidity meter and when the lake water does become too cloudy, they must issue a boil water advisory. The only way to avoid this would be to install a filtration system as well.

This system is community owned and it is my intention to visit a system recently taken over and renovated by the Regional District. More information to follow.

Water Meters - The Final Word?

The past month or so has been partly taken up with a "discussion" about putting a water meter inside a new house being built in the Subdivision. In the past few days, we've received information that appears to decide the whole issue.

Our Regional District does have a view on meters. Essentially their view is that each water utility makes its own by-laws (regarding other matters as well as meters). Meters are slowly being adopted in some communities but there is opposition despite their obvious value. It could be noted that our Society overwhelmingly voted to adopt water meters at the 2007 AGM. We received a grant that covered most of the cost of the project, we used the meters for a whole year before bringing in a new rate structure in 2010 and we reported this to all members as the project unfolded.

Our information is that water meters are not considered to be plumbing fixtures and do not have to be CSA approved. They are, instead, part of the water distribution system which PRWUS owns and operates.

The meters we use ARE certified to the following standards: ANSI/NSF 61 (which specifies the level of lead allowed in the copper alloy meter body) and AWWA C-700 (which specifies the accuracy of the meters). Our Trident T-10 meters (manufactured by Neptune) have a no-lead copper alloy body and are displacement-type meters common in residential applications. Measurement Canada recommended in 2004 that the AWWA standard be adopted for all meters.

The meters themselves are highly unlikely to leak, despite any rumours that there have been leaks. We are not aware of ANY leaks related to any of our installations. The meters have a one-piece alloy body with a base held on by robust bolts and two seals. The only chance of leaks might be from connections to the plumbing system, as there might be with any other pipe joint. We have had one case of a meter making a squeaking noise. This was traced to a small circular magnet rubbing on the inside of the housing, an issue that was easy to fix.

The result of all this kafuffle is that we now have a statement from the Regional District that we can make our own decisions regarding water meters and that they are not a concern to the building inspectors. It is unfortunate that a small, vocal minority continues to oppose meters, but we feel our experience has been positive and has been shown to be the only fair way to allocate the cost of the water being delivered.

This may not be "the final word" but it does seem to move the whole discussion forward in a favourable direction.

Repairs at the Reservoir - September 28/11

Many of you will know that we've had a water leak at the reservoir for some time now. On Wednesday, a small crew of volunteers fixed the leak and cleaned the reservoir.

There have been several reasons why we've put up with this leak for as long as we did. Among them was the difficulty in figuring out where the leak was coming from. At first, we thought it was a leaky drain valve. Then we became convinced that the overflow system was leaking, possibly through a crack in a corroded cast iron pipe.

Then there was the difficulty in finding the right materials to make the repairs, once again not being absolutely sure where the leak was coming from. Obviously, we weren't able to drain the reservoir every time we wanted just to have a look, so we had to prepare for whatever we might find.

In the end, we made a custom 6-inch plug for the drain hole (shown in the bottom picture) and had materials on hand to fix any leak in the overflow pipe, should we find such a hole when we drained the reservoir.

I can report that the leak was from the main reservoir drain valve and that the custom plug fixed the problem, as well as a good tightening of the valve. The repair crew also cleaned up the overflow pipe and wrapped it with materials that should help protect it. The cleaning should last us a couple of years so this is certainly one job we are happy to have completed.

Thanks to the repair/cleaning crew of Gerda, Jason, Hugh, Dave and Effie, and to Doug for his help earlier in the morning when we were testing the drain plug.

This project will pretty much bring to an end the maintenance season for this year. All of the really important jobs were completed with a few things left over for next year. Thanks to those who helped on the projects we did do this season and to those on water teams, the volunteers who take water samples and test for chlorine and generally help keep the system running.

Those Water Meters Again!

With a new house being built in our subdivision, the first in a few years, there has been some "discussion" about water meters, specifically where they should go.

When water meters first went in about 3 years ago, most were placed in the most sensible location: inside the houses, in the basements, where they are protected from frost, corrosion and where the owner can see them. To accommodate a few property owners, and an even smaller number of uncooperative property owners, a small number of meters were placed in boxes out by the street valve. Entirely the wrong place to put such things, but, there you are. More expense, more maintenance, less safety....

This morning, one new owner and I moved one of these "pit meters" inside to the basement. The job took the usual 2 hours, but we're on the way to taking the meters out of this box (shown in the photo above) and placing them in their respective basements. The photo shows why such street locations are the wrong way to go: the boxes rot, the hole starts to cave in and any fixes are expensive and time-consuming, not to mention such holes as significant safety hazards. In my mind, they need to go, as soon as possible.

RDCK Concerned about New Water Regulations

[as reported in The Valley Voice, June 15, 2011].

Earlier in June, Interior Health's Medical Health Officer met with RDCK's Rural Affairs Committee. It appears that most of the discussion centered around drinking water, specifically the new water regulations and the pressure those regulations will put on small communities and small water systems.

If anyone wants to see the effect of these new regulations, one needs go no further than the South Slocan, where a very expensive system is now in place (rumored to have cost in excess of $1 million). Never mind that almost no-one there wanted the new system; they have it now and will be paying for it. In part, this happened because the South Slocan water system was to be taken over by RDCK. Pressure was applied by Interior Health on the Regional District to fix the system so it met the standards of the Drinking Water Protection Act. Against many objections, the work was done.

It might be worth pointing out that the new regulations require two methods of treatment. Our system, owned and operated by PRWUS, has that kind of arrangement, a filtration system down to 1 micron and a chlorination system. We also monitor chlorine levels on a daily basis and water samples are sent in regularly to be tested for the presence of bacteria and other pathogens. So, for the time being, our system meets the requirements set out in the new regulations under the Drinking Water Protection Act.

I think it's clear from this that the Government is prepared to insist that drinking water quality across the province be improved. It's simply not going to be good enough to argue that "we've drunk the water from that lake (river, bog, whatever) for years and never had a problem with it". It's also clear that the Government won't be paying for these improvements, where they are needed. Our view is that it's always good to stay ahead of these things and never get in the position of having to play catch-up with the whims of Governments. Like most things connected with Government, they usually cost you money.

'Tis The Season

Not a phrase commonly used at this time of year, although with freak snowstorms happening in many parts of the country, who knows?

No, this marks the beginning of the 2011 maintenance season for PRWUS. Other than for emergency repairs, we always hope that anything major will be kind enough to wait until spring/summer/fall. Despite the cool weather we've experienced this spring, it's time to start getting into the mood for fixing things.

The full list of proposed projects, plus a record of what we've done for the past 2 seasons, is on our website.

Thanks to all the work done in the past 2 years, the list for 2011 is substantially smaller and includes a new roof for the treatment building, some finishing touches to the cliff water line box and some miscellaneous painting and general fixing up. With any luck,, then, it should be an easier summer for all of us.

Another Year Passes

The New Year has arrived, and besides the usual end-of-year hype, the date marks our first full year with water meters, consumption-based water rates and our new billing system. One of the most noticeable things is the big variation in water use between households. Not that this has been any surprise, but it reinforces the importance of households paying for what they use, just as we do for other commodities and services. Households using less are paying less. Households using more water are paying more. It's much more fair to everyone and also provides an incentive to be more aware of how much water we are using.

The time and money invested in system repairs over the past year indicate once again the costs of keeping our water system running safely and efficiently. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the system: Board members, maintenance team members, water team members; by fixing things, taking water samples, cleaning filters, making decisions about system operations, monitoring water levels, and so on.

Happy New Year.