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.