Water system needs long-term planning

Editor: We just walked the Bear Creek Park trail. The rushing water coming from Bear Lake etc., is not fit for drinking. Spending $19 million on a filter and clarifying system (using hydrated potassium aluminum as the settling agent) will not be a wise move. IHA may be overwhelmed by the new cases of Alzheimer’s cases due to the high level of aluminum in the drinking water.

What will the system use for alternate source drinking water when the plant will be overwhelmed by demand and dirty water?

A second ‘source’ will be necessary during breakdowns. Mission Creek is not fit to drink now and will not be for maybe two months.

Does Kelowna mayor Colin Basran and IHA have an alternate source ready for this demise?

The source from Okanagan Lake is still the least ‘bad’ choice for water source. At least the necessary ‘drugs’ that you need will already be in your drinking water, thanks to the 40 million liters of sewer plant effluent deposited in the lake each day and every day — only to increase as Kelowna grows.

The city and IHA wise people need to think twice and use the long approach to future planning. Is the quality of our lake water more important than a cheap and easy place to dump our sewer plant effluent? That must be a tough question to answer. There, again, the question is there an alternate plan for the day we cannot use the lake for drinking water, an alternate source for our drinking water?

I urge the city and IHA not to go past the point of no return when we talk drinking water. There is no other chemical compound more precious than clean safe water.

One fact to remember: Kelowna will grow very large and the sewer effluent will increase accordingly as will the pollution of the lake, no question.

Spend the money wisely today; the alternative may be much to expensive.

Jorgen Hansen, Kelowna