Clean Water and Wastewater Grant Fund: Water System Alarming and Communication Upgrades
In November 2016 applications were accepted for the Canada/British Colombia Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) grant program. The purpose of the funding is to support infrastructure projects in communities across the province that are started and completed in 2017/2018. The Regional District submitted an application for the Willowbrook Water System to add communication and alarming hardware to the pump house on Carr Crescent and the reservoir above Johnson Crescent. This program funds up to a maximum of eighty-three percent (83%) of the total eligible project costs with fifty percent (50%) contributed by the Government of Canada and thirty-three percent (33%) by the Province of British Columbia. The remaining costs would be recovered from users of the Willowbrook Water System. The RDOS received the great news in April 2017 that the grant funding was approved! The total budget for the alarming and communication upgrades is $39,100 and the work will be getting underway in Spring 2018.
Federal Gas Tax Funding: Water System Upgrades
In October 2017 the Interior Health Authority (IHA) completed a risk assessment on the Willowbrook water system and its source water. The risk assessment investigated the protection of the well, risk of ground water contamination, and an analysis of water quality. The assessment determined that the system’s Ground Water is At Risk of containing Pathogens (GARP).
To address the issues found in the GARP assessment the RDOS Board of Directors chose to use Regionally Significant Project Gas Tax funds for upgrades to the Willowbrook water system. The RDOS is currently accepting proposals from qualified companies to design and construct the required system upgrades. There are several options which the IHA has suggested to address issues found in the GARP assessment including chlorination, UV disinfection and upgrades to the well and pump house. Work is expected to begin in the Summer of 2018 and wrap up in the Fall/Winter of 2018.
The total funding for the Regionally Significant Gas Tax is $360,000 dollars. These funds are being split between the community water systems of Willowbrook and Sun Valley with an estimated $240,000 going to the Willowbrook water system and $120,000 going to the Sun Valley water system.
The RDOS took over operations and ownership of the Willowbrook water system on July 1, 2016. Now that some time has passed the RDOS has a better understanding of the costs associated with full operation of the system. Rates will be increased from $437.50 per property connection in 2017 to $1,008.05 per property connection in 2018. The increase in rates is primarily required to cover costs associated with staff wages, basic system operation and the requirements for system upgrades to meet Interior Health Authority mandates on drinking water quality and source water protection. The RDOS looks forward to building a strong relationship with the Willowbrook community, and providing excellent service to its citizens.
To assist with the payment of your utility account you have the option of setting up your account on a Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) schedule which allows payments to be made either monthly or on the due date. If you wish to do this, you must complete, and sign a Pre-Authorized Payment Form. This form authorizes us to process an automatic bank withdrawal from your account for amounts billed to you for your Water and Garbage/Recycling fees. Depending on which option you choose, PAP’s will either be processed on the invoice due date, or if monthly payments are chosen – the last business day of each month. These forms are also available from our office or on our website at www.rdos.bc.ca
Boil Water Reminder
The RDOS would like to remind all Willowbrook residents that the Boil Water Notice, issued September 30th, 2017 remains in effect until further notice. All water system users are advised to use a safe alternate source of water or to boil water for all drinking, infant formula preparation, brushing teeth, food preparation/cooking purposes and ice making. Water should be brought to a full boil and allowed to boil for at least 1 minute.