While a draft regional water strategy received support at the committee level, the Sunshine Coast Regional (SCRD) board postponed adoption of the document pending further discussion.
At the April 25 board meeting Gibsons area director Silas White said issues around water are "constantly evolving" and he wanted more debate on some of the language in the draft strategy, which came before elected officials at a committee of the whole meeting on March 28. White was not in attendance at the committee gathering and at board he expressed the view that portions of the wording used should be reviewed with the shíshálh Nation. Bringing the strategy’s content into alignment with the board’s strategic plan and the values adopted in region-wide water summits were other areas of concern he identified.
In advance of moving the water strategy back to committee of the whole, board chair and Pender Harbour/Egmont area director Leonard Lee added that he wanted to see the addition of details on water supply projects for his electoral area before the document is considered by the board. His assessment was that the committee had “moved a bit too fast” in recommending board endorsement.
Lee's motion passed unanimously. Following adoption, chief administrative officer Dean McKinley noted adjustments to the strategy draft could be a matter for discussion at upcoming water summit meetings. Dates for those meetings have not yet been confirmed. A number of water summits, involving all Coast local governments as well as the area’s MP and MLA (or a representative from their staff) have been held since late 2022. Those events have not been open to public attendance or press coverage.
Background
"The water strategy is a drinking water management plan that identifies strategic priorities, objectives, and actions that will guide the future planning and delivery of SCRD water services," says the report considered by elected officials at March 28 committee meeting. "The water strategy is a tool for communicating with the community about what the SCRD is doing to improve its drinking water services. It considers all three water service areas where treated drinking water is provided for residential use, fire protection, commercial, institutional, industrial use, and irrigation." It was developed with input received in a public engagement process that started in May 2022 and continued into 2023.
The draft strategy begins with five guiding principles endorsed by all Coast local governments and First Nations. Principles include being action-oriented and being partnership-based, where those entities commit to work together to deliver water services. Another principle is being resilient by reducing vulnerability from external factors including climate change and it highlights the importance of environmental stewardship. Being cost-effective is another principle under which the SCRD will plan "to maintain and upgrade infrastructure, assess and compare long-term source options, set appropriate rates for long-term cost recovery and avoid excessive debt to achieve sustainable service levels." To "think and act like a region" is the concluding principle.
The principles are followed by a commitment to providing a safe and reliable water supply, recognizing four strategic priorities: water supply, water infrastructure, water efficiency and source water protection. Within each of those priority areas, actions have been identified to guide initiatives and service planning and delivery.
The strategy plans for the development of three separate action plans: a water master plan to set out the technical, operational and financial actions and practices required to meet the water needs for water services over the next 10 years; a water efficiency plan detailing initiatives to promote efficient use of our drinking water supply; and source water protection plan that will focus on maintaining the health of watersheds the area depends on for water sources.
