Twin Lakes community still waiting for regional district to decide to help with their water woes

Photo: Contributed

A five-foot-high wall of sandbags holding back Lower Twin Lake from flooding in June 2018

The community of Twin Lakes will have to wait a little longer to learn whether the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen will swoop in to save them from their water management woes.

Twin Lakes was the site of devastating flooding and high lake levels in 2018.

The Lower Nipit Improvement District, which manages the water levels in the upper and lower lakes, has been asking for help from the regional government for many years. They want the RDOS to take over ownership of their water infrastructure.

Ecora Engineering completed an engineering and financial assessment to determine infrastructure upgrades and operational procedures required to safely manage water levels in the area.

The report estimates required updates to culverts to protect against flooding will cost $1.6 million.

RDOS staff estimated that translates to around $1,385 per year for each of Twin Lakes' 69 properties over 25 years.

District staff summarized their report on the matter by recommending the RDOS board decline the request from the Lower Nipit to assume ownership of their infrastructure.

But some on the RDOS board were on Lower Nipit's side at Thursday's meeting.

"They need our support, they need our help," said Area I director Subrina Monteith.

"We have a problem. We do an amazing job of doing reports but we do nothing with them. We do a report, we put it on the shelf, and we do nothing with them."

Rural Oliver director Rick Knodel also expressed support for the RDOS stepping in. He said the Lower Nipit Improvement District is not equipped to navigate the provincial and federal bureaucracy behind water system management.

"This is a small volunteer group that do not have the resources and expertise to manage this," Knodel said.

"If we don't step in, we basically just toss them to the wolves."

Despite some directors sharing their support, the board ultimately voted to postpone the matter to a future meeting for further discussion at that time. Many on the board felt more comfortable waiting until a plan for the water infrastructure was in place before the RDOS would assume control.