ELECTRICAL FAILURE
WEATHER BEATEN
VIllage experiences technical problems See page 4
Valley apple growers hit hard this year See page 14
E H T www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Vol.15 Number 37
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
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Regional district in hot water over boil advisory By Steve Arstad news@keremeosreview.com Area “G” Director Angelique Wood and regional district staff found themselves in hot water with Olalla residents over a boil water advisory during the September 8 town hall meeting. Several of the 60 plus community members attending the meeting complained that the regional district’s boil water advisory was late or never provided. Eleven of those in attendance claimed Photo by Steve Arstad they were made sick as a result of the water. Complaints about the present well system were also rife Area “G” Director Angelique Wood, along with several other regional district personnel, met with approximately 60 Olalla resiat the meeting. “People were made ill as a result of the late notice dents on September 8, in a town hall meeting, largely to discuss issues pertaining to a recent boil water advisory. of the boil water advisory - what do we have here, regional district only notified those residents identified as purchase of bottled water - compensation for which is not another Walkerton?” asked one agitated resident. “When we were taking water from the creek, no one was being on the community water system. There was some common practice, replied regional district staff. Director Woods explained that Olalla residents weren’t ever sick,” commented another resident. “The water tastes confusion in Olalla with respect to who was part of the water system and who wasn’t. In some cases, residents in alone in the regional district with water issues. She displayed like sh-- now, and people are ill.” Along with Olalla Area “G” Director Wood was RDOS manufactured home parks were not notified directly of the a chart indicating six other communities in the regional Board Chair Dan Ashton and RDOS Public Works Manager boil water advisory, because only the landowner had been district that were on boil water advisories, in some cases, for more than a year. Solving the contamination issue would be Doug French. Wood tabled a number of questions put for- told, and that information had not been passed on. French further explained that the community’s well is prohibitively expensive, she explained to the meeting. ward by those present and, along with the other members of The meeting was also intended to involve other topics of the regional district, attempted to answer them. At several drilled into an unconfined aquifer, which means surface points during the meeting, Ashton had to ask audience water can find its way into the well. Shocking the well would discussion, however, it appeared that Olalla residents had members to be respectful, as comments took on a personal take up to two days, and without adequate storage capacity little else to bring to the board than their water concerns. in the Olalla reservoir, water would have to be trucked in Other topics raised briefly included yard waste pick up and note and side conversations made listening difficult. “Does anybody here know what they are talking about?” at formidable cost. The problem with the well may resolve composting practises. Former Similkameen Trails Society Chair Joe Littlefield also spoke to the gathering about comasked one frustrated resident after having questions regard- itself over time, French added. One resident insisted that former mining operations in the munity involvement. ing the history of Olalla’s water system deferred for further mountains above Olalla were responsible for the contamiAs the discussions over water issues wound down, research. Public Works Manager Doug French told the meeting nation, but French confirmed that heavy metals, including Chair Ashton responded to the complaints regarding poor notice. that total choliforms had been discovered in the water, arsenic, were not an issue with the Olalla water supply. Several residents demanded to know who was going to “We’ll do a broad brush,” he told the gathering, indicatprompting the boil water advisory, which took place on Friday, August 10. The timing of the announcement, coming pay for their additional expenses as a result of having to boil ing that the regional district would make an effort to contact just before the weekend, meant that there wasn’t available water. One resident wanted the regional district to pro rate everyone in the community - not just those on the water staff to go door to door to warn residents. In addition, the her water bill, while another asked for compensation for the system - next time an advisory was issued.
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