Budget Discussion

2020

o $11,900,000.00 capital requirement to design and building new ground water treatment facility, required water system upgrades and universal water metering.

 Necessary commitment from the community of approximately $5.3 million; this includes the cost of metering as well as the community’s 27% financial commitment

o Re-assignment of $400,000.00 capital planning budget

2021

o Universal Watering Metering will be supported solely from community funds; borrowing, reserves, operating capital at a cost of $2,800,000.00 included in $11.9M project.

o Installation of water lines under Osoyoos to increase capacity for distribution and raw water systems from the east to the west at a capital cost of $1,000,000.00 (also included in the $11.9 million noted above)

Future Operating Requirements once Phase one (1) is complete

o $65,000 per year toward capital reinvestment; reserve establishment.

o $270,000.00 in annual operating expenses; two new water/wastewater operators as well as general Operating &Maintenances expenses.

The Town will need to take steps that result in manganese removal in its domestic water system in the near future as Health Canada has deemed its presence in drinking water as a health concern in amounts that exceed guideline values. Manganese in drinking water has long being identified as an aesthetic concern because it can discolour drinking water, affect taste and stain laundry and plumbing fixtures and there has been an aesthetic objective value established for that too.

Manganese removal will work towards meeting or exceeding both guideline values for Osoyoos’ drinking water. The Town had been considering Osoyoos Lake as a domestic water source due to capacity constraints between the east and west sides of the community. This capacity issue made the feasibility of ground water treatment potentially economically comparable to a surface water treatment system; thus an interest in developing a surface water intake and treatment facility as an alternative emerged. With the following statement with regards to the interconnection of the east and west sides of the community water system, we can now move back toward ground water treatment as a feasible supply and treatment option. To address those capacity constraints without using lake water additional water lines interconnecting Town wells and future treatment facilities on both sides of Osoyoos Lake is required. Until very recently the necessary Provincial Crown land tenure to permit that work was not forthcoming due to a lack of support from the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB).

The OIB has indicated their approval for the necessary tenure and with that approval the use of lake water is no longer deemed necessary or desirable at this time. The OIB will be actively involved with the Town as this project progresses and any necessary archaeological investigations and permits will be obtained as required.

The Town will be looking for grant funding to assist with the capital requirements needed to design and build one of the two water treatment facilities as well as the associated water main upgrades in 2020 through 2023. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) Green Infrastructure – Environmental Quality Program assists communities with 73.33% funding for water and wastewater related projects including projects that provide increased access to potable water.

Motion to apply for grant funding agreed to by all on council.