Summerland eyeing mandatory water shut-offs in extreme emergencies

As an unprecedented heat dome settled over B.C. last June and operators of Summerland’s water treatment plant struggled to keep up with demand amid equipment failures, a decision was made to shut off supply to the community’s 15 heaviest users for upwards of eight hours.

While some of the farmers who were affected complained about the move jeopardizing their livelihoods with little warning, the alternative was to open a bypass that would have allowed untreated water into the system and triggered a community-wide boil water notice for at least a week.

District staff stood by their decision but found during an after-action review there was no formal policy in place to guide them and the community through such emergencies.

Not anymore.

Council at its meeting Monday signed off on a 65-page emergency response plan for the water treatment plant that runs through a slew of scenarios and provides step-by-step plans to counter them.

Key features of the plan include compiling a list of the district’s 15 heaviest water users that would be shut down for up to eight hours in the case of an emergency such as the June 2021 event and communicating to them the criteria for such action.

Another list of the 20 heaviest users will be drawn up to see if there’s any interest among them in volunteering to cut their supplies in case of emergency to avoid mandatory shut-offs.

The plan directs staff to limit such shutdowns to eight hours, after which the bypass would be opened and a boil-water notice issued to the community.

Coun. Richard Barkwill said he’s uncomfortable with the idea of mandatory shutdowns, because it would punish farms and potentially put district staff in the position of having to shut off water against customers’ will.

In reply, Coun. Marty Van Alphen suggested Summerland residents would respond to voluntary requests to turn off their water.

“I know this community, I think, quite well, and if I have to shut my water off for the greater good, then I do so,” said Van Alphen.

“We’ve all just got to pull together in these critical times, and hopefully we never get to a mandatory (shutdown)…. But again, just so we’re clear, it’s eight hours tops.”

According to Environment Canada historical data, the temperature in Summerland on June 28, 2021 – the day after the shutdown – reached 40 C. Two days later, the mercury touched 44.7 C, setting an all-time record for Summerland.