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The Regional District of North Okanagan board is expected to approve a plan to seek public assent to borrow funds for a water treatment update staff says is greatly needed.
The RDNO is looking to borrow up to $18 million to add filtration to the Mission Hill Water Treatment Plant.
The filtration update is needed to meet Interior Health water quality standards. It would target particulate removal and reduce suspended solids, turbidity, colour, taste and odour.
While the district has said repaying the $18 million has been worked into water rates and will not increase property taxes, it still requires voters to approve the long-term borrowing. To do so, the district will be using an alternative approval process, which only requires people opposed to the borrowing to vote.
So long as less than ten per cent of the population votes no, the bylaw will go ahead. According to a staff report submitted to the board, ten per cent of affected municipalities — Vernon, Coldstream and Electoral Areas B and C — is 5,480 people.
The report said if the board endorses the AAP, a public notice will be issued on Thursday and voter responses will be due back by May 30, 2025, at 4 p.m.
Filtration has been at the forefront of RDNO meetings as water levels remain low entering into the spring freshet, prompting concerns over water quality in Greater Vernon Water.
The district was eventually forced to shut off the Kal Water Source due to high turbidity, a move the RDNO manager of utilities said could be avoided in the future with a filtration system at Mission Hill.
The bylaw has already been read three times and is expected to be approved to go to voters Wednesday at the board meeting.
The total project cost is expected to be between $85 and $100 million, with remaining funds coming from RDNO reserves and an already secured $30-million grant from the federal government.
