Solsqua-Sicamous Road residents currently dependent on a private well system for drinking water are hopeful the district will help provide a more palatable alternative.
Earlier this year, Solsqua-Sicamous Road residents appealed to Sicamous council to extend municipal to residences, arguing the well system they depend on for potable water, operated by the Cedar Ridge Mobile Home Park, has been problematic and at times unreliable.
The district received a request to extend water to residences reliant on the mobile park water system about a decade ago, and again in 2013 with a letter of support from Interior Health. A boil water notice, issued in 2013, and repeated water shortages, required a new well to be drilled. While it has been an improvement for residents, there are still concerns.
In a May 15, 2013 letter to the district, Interior Health health officer Brian Gregory states that some wells on Solsqua-Sicamous Road are considered “ground water at risk of containing pathogens” due to their depth and proximity to Eagle River, and there would be a public health benefit to extending municipal water along the road.
The most recent request was met with verbal support by council, and written support in a May 27 letter from Mayor Terry Rysz. In it, Rysz states the waterline extension has been identified by council in the 2015 capital works budget.
“Before any work proceeds, there needs to be a public approval process conducted of those properties that will benefit from this waterline extension as well as confirmation from property owners as to a debt repayment scheme covering the cost of the capital works installation,” wrote Rysz.
The mayor goes on to state provincial/federal grants typically are not available for waterline extension projects, but adds once a project is approved by property owners, the district can apply to any grant funding available to help reduce the project cost to property owners.
“The district has a number of water and sewer projects on the go at this time and as they reach completion, the district will begin to focus on the public approval process for the Solsqua-Sicamous Road extension.”
At council’s May 27 regular meeting, Coun. Malcolm Makayev asked if the district could do some of the work, with Coun. Gord Bushell noting this might reduce the cost of the project. This got conversation rolling on the topic, and Solsqua-Sicamous Road resident Marie-Paule Lacasse was allowed to address council. She applauded the idea of using local resources, noting the mobile park’s residents also want to be on municipal water, but do not have the funds to make it happen. Because of this, she suggested the public approval process might be unsuccessful. In response, she asked the district to consider look to funding options first, or ways of lowering the monthly debt before the public approval process begins.
“Because then there would be the possibility of people saying, ‘yeah, if we dig in, we can do this.’ Because they really want it,” said Lacasse.
Lacasse noted Interior Health might be able to help as well.
“I know for a fact that this small water system that we are on has been a major headache for them. Trust me, a major pain in the butt,” said Lacasse.
District administrator Fred Banham explained the public approval process and how it might work out with the waterline extension project, noting it’s “not a perfect situation but it does have merits.” He also emphasized that it’s too early to be concerned with who’s going to dig the ditch “because we’re nowhere near there.”
“But we’ll look after your best interests and, when we approve this project, we’ll do it under budget and you won’t pay for what you supported to borrow in the first place,” said Banham.
Lacasse said all the residents at Cedar Ridge are longtime residents, who are only now coming to question why they aren’t on the municipal water system.
Rysz thanked her and said council will be discussing the matter.
“And hopefully we can find some way to find a solution,” he said.
Still unclear on the details regarding how the waterline might be extended, let alone paid for, Lacasse is at least optimistic.
“I have the feeling they are taking this seriously and they are going to be trying to do something,” said Lacasse.