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VOL. 27, NO. 78
Rainwater could quench region’s thirst
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DIRECTORS PASS motion for potable water source.
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Paul Hasselback, medical health officer, said potable rainwater collection isn’t without its problems. While rain is a water source and occurs regularly on the Island, it doesn’t necessarily come at times when it is needed, said Hasselback. “The challenge is with any
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would need for their system,” said Pisani. She said the idea of the resolution is to urge the B.C. government to take the next steps that are needed to enable the initiative. In the Nanaimo area, small water systems are regulated by the Vancouver Island Health Authority. Dr.
water that’s actually just a source. Now if it was coming out of the sky and into a consistently maintained sterile environment and collected, so that it doesn’t get contaminated, it’s probably something we would look at as a source in that context,” Hasselback said. He said the rainwater harvesting units tend to be on the top of buildings or in open spaces and water can be contaminated from birds and the like and may have more contaminants than other surface water. “Now we can treat it and the systems that have been looking at this actually do have treatment associated with them, so that actually is already in place. “Part of what’s been asked for here, we could be looking at if we had a proposal coming forward from a drinking water system for consideration of using rainwater as a source. “If they have the appropriate treatment in place, it may be a viable alternative,” Hasselback said.
Kilpatrick and Jameson. To most Nanaimo residents, it is a rural intersection west of the city, just past the B.C. Hydro substation on Jingle Pot Road, home to single-family homes on large, secluded lots. To the community’s criminal underbelly, however, it is ground zero. Seven times in the past 13 months, the corner’s small collection of community mailboxes has been ransacked by thieves hot for money and personal information. According to the RCMP, it is a poster child for a rash of community mailbox crime afflicting not only Nanaimo, but the entire Island and beyond. “It’s a significant issue,” Nanaimo Const. Gary O’Brien said. “They target areas where there is hardly any foot traffic, late at night, where they can fade into the bushes.” Thieves are hopeful they may find cash stuffed in the odd envelope, but increasingly their focus is on nabbing driver’s licences, credit cards and any other booty they can put to use for identity theft. “After the fact, we’ll kick in a door and find – no word of a lie – a thousand pieces of ID,” O’Brien said. Nanaimo is certainly not alone in this concern. Cpl. Jesse Foreman of Oceanside RCMP said Qualicum Beach was hit twice recently and Nanoose Bay another two, all under similar circumstances. Westshore RCMP reported a string of similar offences in Langford and the Highlands in the fall. Cpl. Krista Hobday of Duncan/North Cowichan RCMP said the situation is the same in her community. “It seems to be picking up speed. We were hit at four separate locations in the last week,” she said. “Canada Post is conducting their own investigation parallel to ours. No concrete suspects at this time, but we always have a few on our radar for thefts like this.” For its part, Canada Post would only reluctantly acknowledge the issue’s existence.
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CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Julie Pisani, Regional District of Nanaimo drinking water and watershed protection program coordinator, is looking forward to the possibility rainwater will contribute countless drops in the regional district’s bucket of potable water sources.
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THE NEWS BULLETIN
If they have the appropriate treatment in place, it may be a viable alternative.
BY KARL YU THE NEWS BULLETIN
With a dry summer in 2015, a resolution on rain as a potable water source could be beneficial, according to the Regional District of Nanaimo’s drinking water program coordinator. Regional district directors approved a resolution to use rainwater as a potable water source at last month’s regular meeting. The hope is the resolution will be considered at the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities’ annual general meeting in April and ultimately at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in September. Julie Pisani, drinking water and watershed protection program coordinator, said the resolution pertains to collecting rainwater for small water systems, which provide drinking water to the public in such places as small community centres and restaurants. Given the water restrictions the regional district implemented last summer, it could help reduce stress for small, unserviced communities, she said. “If they’re able to have an additional water source ... that would increase their resiliency to dry years, where potentially the wells aren’t performing as they
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