The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) wants to protect Coast drinking water and have started a process that they hope will end in the protection of the Chapman Creek watershed.
The SCRD is creating a technical working group to address potential risks, hazards and management options for drinking water within the watershed. The group will also be tasked with overseeing the development of a request for proposals for a consultant to develop a watershed source assessment response plan (SARP), overseeing the development of the SARP for adoption by the board and monitoring the implementation of the SARP for a one-year period.
Representatives on the technical working group will include Sunshine Coast Community Forests, BC Timber Sales, Western Forest Products, AJB, Tetrahedron Outdoor Club, Sunshine Coast Conservation Asso-ciation, SCRD natural resources advisory committee, Sechelt Indian Band, Squamish First Nation, SCRD infrastructure and planning staff, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Forests and Range, Ministry of Energy Mines and Petroleum, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Fisheries and Oceans Canada and an SCRD board representative.
"That group will be a technical committee consisting of stakeholders with technical expertise in their areas of practice that represent the organizations that have a direct stake in the management of the watershed above the drinking water intake," stated a staff report presented at the Jan. 6 infrastructure committee meeting.
Directors indicated that the SCRD has wanted to gain control over the Chapman watershed for a long period of time and this technical group will be a step toward that goal of securing protection of the water source under the water protection act.
"The sort of Holy Grail is the water protection act, but there's no guarantee we'll get there," said VCH drinking water officer Tim Adams. "I would put a request in to the health officer, which would be put in to the minister. The minister may then designate the protection of the area and direct the planning process, but final approval rests with the Lieutenant Governor. Once we get that approval, then the regulation would be enacted and it's one that allows local government to allow certain authorized activity in designated areas."
Adding to the complexity of the process is the changing water sustainability act and the fact that no protection plans have yet been approved in the province.
"The criteria are that if there are any threats to drinking water that are not dealt with completely under the act, it won't be passed forward. Since this is a fairly new process, we just don't know," Adams said.
Directors said they are hopeful the process will end with water protection.
"This is perhaps the time to address a letter to each of the [provincial NDP and Liberal] leadership candidates to express concern about industrial activities related to the watershed. It may be time to lobby again," said Lee Turnbull, director for West Howe Sound.
All were in favour of sending the letters and making it known that the SCRD is against industrial activity in the watershed.
