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January 08, 2024 - 4:51 PM
A privately-run water system needs replacement after Kamloops went through its driest year ever and record low river levels.
The Rayleigh water system is separate from the rest of the city, supplying more than 2,000 residents residents with both drinking water and irrigation. The organization behind it, however, is looking to the city for support as it looks for money to rebuild the system.
The Rayleigh Waterworks District took emergency action before the system failed due to low river levels in 2023, which would have shutdown not only drinking water, but also firefighting supply, according to a letter from the district written to Kamloops city council.
"Despite the immediate measures taken, the vulnerability of our water supply system was evident, and a long term solution is imperative," the letter from waterworks manager Joe Matias reads.
Matias said the district is looking for an endorsement from the city as they look to the province for funding.
It's not clear exactly what the district did to keep the intake running, but district records from 2019 show it's been aware of the need for years. The 2019 report says the river has been dropping and changing course, so property owners should prepare for a potential $1 million reconstruction.
It's also not clear how accurate the estimate is five years later, nor how much time the district believed it had to do the work at the time. According to that report, the district had half of the rebuild estimate set aside through taxation.
Matias did not immediately respond to a request for comment from iNFOnews.ca.
Before the district can rebuild its water intake, it's first applying for provincial grant funding for a feasibility study and asking the city for its support.
While the Rayleigh water system was spared from failure temporarily, the Noble Creek Irrigation System had to be shut down this year because of similar issues with low water and failing infrastructure. That system, however, was operated by the city and wasn't used for drinking water.
The city is now spending millions to payout Westsyde farmers who used the irrigation system, across the river from Rayleigh. The city is also funding its demolition and a temporary pump system for the 40 farmers that use the system.
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