A Reply from Fred Bates Regarding - Our Regional Water

This is a start in opening up dialouge...Lets keep the momentum going .

We continue to invite folks to write Open Letters to the media and let the community know what you are thinking about our water supply.

We especially invite letters by those making decisions about our Water's Future !

Transparency is what we are looking for. Lets work together for Good quality Water for us and for future generations.

Kathleen Kinasewich
CVWWC

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Dear Kathleen Kinasewich;

Thank you for your open letter regards Comox Valley water. I would be pleased to provide you with my personal opinions and rationale which will for the most part reflect the CVRD board as well, but I leave it to individuals to state their own views.

On water metering, I firmly believe this is a proven method of improving conservation of this essential resource that is not an unlimited supply. I have seen reports from many other cities and they all confirm a 30 - 50 % reduction in use. Comox Valley is one of the highest users of water in Canada. Metering has a number of benefits including 1) reduced capital costs to increase infrastructure to meet demands as well as treatment costs, 2) fairer cost sharing so that those who use more will pay more, 3) a means of locating system problems by identifying the area of unusual volume, 4) the reduction of use also reduces the outflow to waste water systems thereby reducing sewage treatment costs. The Province is increasing demands for good water management and has , for example, ordered Cumberland as a condition of our renewed water license to install water meters, so that is an indication of the future direction. I invite you to explore this topic with Royston, Kamloops, Kelowna, West Vancouver, Victoria, Dawson Creek, and many other communities. I have not heard of one community who has regretted going to water meters.

Regards good quality and adequate quantity now and in the future, we currently have a good quality water and need to take measures to ensure that for future. The water treatment regulations for surface water are continually increasing in this country and we need to meet those standards to make sure we never have a " Walkerton" situation here. As for volume, Comox Lake has sufficient volume to meet the needs of Comox Valley for the next 100 years without negatively impacting the reservoir.

I think the watershed protection is a very important matter and the regions needs to work diligently to accomplish a safe drinking water supply. I believe the best way to do this is to sit with all the stakeholders and make sure we are not seen as a threat to their existence but rather as a partner in meeting the overall goal. I believe the watershed can be protected while the recreation on the lake is maintained as long as we work together and I believe that all stakeholders on the lake are willing to do that. The Fish and Game Club, the Cabin owners, the Village of Cumberland as well as the boating public have the same desire to protect drinking water and we just need to sit together and work through the short and long term solutions to reach a consensus on how we get the best solution to a shared lake with a safe drinking water supply for all to enjoy.

The regional district has established a water commission to work toward considering a regional water management plan which will consider all aspects of the various supply systems in the Valley and how they can best be protected., enhanced, conjoined, or whatever long term solution works best for the safety of the citizens at the best cost.

The water rates reflect the cost of capturing, distributing, and treating the water, so they would not be the area that I would adjust for those who cannot afford to pay water bills. That would be better dealt with in an assistance program.

I hope this adequately explained my position on this matter. I am open to discuss this at any time.

Sincerely

Fred Bates

Chair

CVRD