Ground broken on upgrade to water supply
$86-million project kicks off City of Kelowna’s takeover of South East Kelowna Irrigation District
The first phase of a planned $86million upgrade to Kelowna’s water supply officially began Wednesday.
The City of Kelowna’s takeover of the South East Kelowna Irrigation District begins with a multi-year project separating the agricultural and domestic systems in Southeast Kelowna and providing a water supply for agriculture in South Mission.
Phase 1 is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
“The fact we are here actually breaking ground . . . is a testament to city council’s persistence, as well as the strong support from the higher levels of government to make this happen,” said Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran.
The federal government contributed $26.45 million to the first phase of the project, while the provincial government contributed $17.46 million and the city contributed $19.1 million.
The rest of the funds are to be covered by a combination of municipal reserves and borrowing.
Basran commended MP Stephen Fuhr and MLA Steve Thomson on their involvement with the project, calling it a political hot potato.
“You’re dealing with a situation where there’s a lot of passion, (and) rightfully so,” said Basran.
“There’s a lot of history, and we know that, for a lot of our residents, change is not easy.”
The importance of an integrated water system goes beyond politics, he said.
“This is about doing the right thing for the residents of our community . . . providing clean and safe drinking water, creating a system that is resilient and redundant in the face of climate change, and one that is integrated, so that if anything is to go wrong with any one source, we have . . . backup sources, so we aren’t left with residents having no water.”
The city’s other major water providers — Rutland Waterworks, Black Mountain and Glenmore Ellison — have yet to join the municipal system, but Basran is confident it will happen, saying it is not a matter of if, but when.
“We’re not looking to take over all of the irrigation districts tomorrow,” he said.
“What we’re looking for is a plan that over time will see an integrated water system in our community.”