Speaker

Discussion

Opening Remarks
Ev McKay,
MIIWSS Chair

Introduction of the event
Appreciation to participants, supporters and attendees

Introductory Remarks
Mary Cooper, Vice Chair and
Program Director,
MIIWSS

8 islands of the 13 in the Islands Trust area are represented on this day: Penders, Galiano, Gabriola, Hornby, Valdes, Salt Spring,
Saturna, Mayne, along with folks from Victoria, Central Saanich, Nanaimo, Vancouver.

Acknowledgments, appreciation and introductions:

• CRD Director Susan DeGryp who provided a substantial grant-in-aid this year.
• Local trust committee Jeanine Dodds and Gary Rowe
• Gerry Hamblin, our island trust planner and
• Brett Korteling who provided website district maps
• LTCs of North Pender, Saturna and Galiano provided financial support
• Ministry of Environment provided grant-in-aid.
• Many island businesses and community clubs pitched in; there are appreciation signs around the gym with their names
  When you visit these businesses, please thank them for their community spirit.
• The displayers, here for your information, are the best in their field.

Funding is used totally for public education on potable water and groundwater, and tracking down the information that you need to
be a water steward, using demand side management at the most intimate level.

MIIWSS membership is open to all islanders at $5, no matter which island, all water systems, every single well owner, or if
you just plain care about future potable water supplies.

Doug Sproule,
Sustainable Solutions International,
TOPIC: Caroma Low Flush Toilets

Practical ways to save water indoors:

• The best water-saving bathroom is one where the low consumption goes unnoticed
• Caroma’s dual flush toilet. There are more dual flush than single flush toilets in the world.
• The 6 L cyclonic action means no plugging issues.
• High efficiency toilets use 20% less water than the 6L toilets
• Elsewhere in the world they conserve, while we expand our water treatment facilities. Water conservation results in financial savings on water and sewage treatment infrastructure expansion, expensive desalinization installations, and expensive treatment upgrades to improve water quality at times of lower aquifer levels.
• Toilet “direct installations” are being done in U.S. and Sunshine Coast: delivery, replacement, rebate done by visiting contractor
• Toilet “school giveaways” in S. California had people picking up free toilets and returning with their old for rebates (no returns means a $300 fee on the next water bill).
• New products include venturi vacuum bathroom faucet with 70% water savings, 1.25 gpm shower head for 50% savings using the venturi method, single unit profile toilet with integrated hand basin above it, and Aqus graywater system that recycles water from the basin to the toilet.

Dan Osbourne,
Grant Blandford,
Osborne Electro-Mechanics
TOPIC: Pumps, fans, motors and maintenance

• Mono drive deep well pump will maintain constant pressure in the well.
• Pumps fail due to wear and tear, age, freezing and running dry. Deep well pumps can last ten to fifteen years, depending on water quality, maintenance, use of heated huts and presence of surface contamination.
• Now required by law that pump installers be registered and certified.

Adam Scheuer,
Water Tiger, TOPIC: Filtration, Purification, Treatment, Design

There are two contaminant classifications - health and aesthetic, and four wellwater variables:

1. Iron, Manganese and hydrogen sulfides
2. Hardness
3. Dissolved metals
4. Bacteria

There are four main treatment technologies:

1. UV

• For microbial use. Immediate action – microbe DNA penetration
• No chemicals, taste, odor
• Lowest cost and maintenance.
• In purchasing consider lamp life, water temperature management, compactness, history log and multi and remote monitoring capabilities

2. Reverse Osmosis

• Pre-filtration, then membrane removal of metals, chemicals, bacteria.

3. Greensand

• Oxidizes and filters. Requires pH of 6.5 or higher
• For iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide removal

4. Bio-filtration

• Physical barrier by use of sand and gravel
• No consumables, chemicals, power requirements or maintenance. Gravity fed.
• Ideal for rainwater catchment

When choosing a treatment system consider:

• Health requirements
• Aesthetics
• Total cost including maintenance
• Environmental footprint

Dr. Brian Dixon-Warren,
Saturna Island resident
TOPIC: A house entirely dependent upon rainwater collection

• Presentation on rainwater collection and filtration system featured 18” recessed guttering, steep enameled metal roof with a manually-set roof washer draining to the beach, easy roof access and stainless steel screened downspouts, baskets and strainers. The 11,000 gallon storage tank has aeration capability and gravity feed in case of power outage. The pump is primed by a marine bilge pump. Final treatment has particle filtration by a one micron cartridge and UV sterilization.
• Lessons learned: carefully calculate water requirements vs. capture area, ensure safe accessible screening and filtering, and careful monitoring and testing.

Gary Gibson
Supervisor for Environmental Health, Vancouver Island health Authority
TOPIC: Keeping Your Well Healthy

Good Location:

• Away from animals, garbage, manure, septic systems, agricultural activities, roads, gas stations, storage tanks, flood areas. Well protection zone is generally a 300’ radius.

Good Construction:

• Mounded area around concrete pad
• Casing 18” above ground
• Water tight construction, sealed with sanitary seal
• Openings in casings for lines must be sealed
• Grouted 10’ below ground
• Pumphouse must be elevated, protected and rodent-proof
• Install backflow preventers and low level water controls

Inspections and Monitoring:

• Do structural integrity inspections
• Monitor, keep history of aquifer levels
• Monitor pump equipment
• Keep reservoir tank clean – be wary of low oxygen levels due to rotting sediment and use confined space entry procedures
• You and your neighbour should have your septic tanks pumped every three to five years
• Ensure nearby abandoned wells are decommissioned correctly– they could provide a path to the contamination of the aquifer
• Do well water bacteria checks, keep a history. Test new wells three or four times a year, if okay then test twice a year, then annually if results are satisfactory.
• Test chemical and mineral content every five years

Alan Dakin, P.Eng.
Geologist
TOPIC: Hydrofacturing of Water Wells

• Mayne Island has bedrock geology – water is easiest found in this type of formation. Water availability can be increased by hydrofracturing using 2000 psi in a sealed area of the well, but this can open fractures leading to contamination in that well or that of a neighbour. Control and monitoring is important.
• Some well digs can connect to fracture zones that lead to the ocean. Well monitor readings in these cases can show delayed reflections of tidal fluctuations.
• Science and location data aside, 200 m is generally a safe distance from the shoreline. Steep banks with a history of instability can be affected by hydrofracturing.
• Global warming could increase pressure between the saltwater and freshwater interface by raising sea level and lowering the water table.

Mary Cooper, Vice Chair and
Program Director,
MIIWSS
TOPIC: MIIWSS program update and Addressing Hydrofracturing lobbying position.

Appreciation to Trish, Ingrid, and Jon for a great catering job, Pat Campbell for registration work, and Diane Plucinak, MIIWSS treasurer and food organizer.

Update on MIIWSS activities and programs:

• MIIWSS is an associate member of the Small Water Users Association of BC,
  and the Coastal Water Suppliers Association.
• Website Mayne Island.com/water has been up and running since January this year & will have semi annual updates.
  Soon to come: enlarged water district links, 2007 workshop report / photos, and additional water related links. Suggestions welcomed. Also to be added is a plant list for gardeners: plantlist.pdf07.pdf.
• Booths at the fall fair planned again this August, with a rainwater collection demonstration by Bob Burgess of
  Rainwater Connections, Gary Gibson, VIHA for well owners, and others so that you may consult one on one with your
  water questions.
• AGM is Sunday June 3, 1 p.m. at the Community Center. Guest speaker will be Dr Harry Hartmann of MB Labs,
  addressing well test information, boil water orders, etc. Q & A session. New memberships will be available.
• The Skywatcher’s Weather Station program for our school has not panned out.
• New water conservation sign will be at the corner of Fernhill and Village Bay Road. We thank Joan Drummond for her gracious offer, and Klaus Tewes for installation.
• Considering a tour of the new state of the art St. Mary’s Lake CRD water treatment plant on Salt Spring.
• BCWWA accredited leak detection course was held Sept/06 for 15 island operators. We are losing certified operators because of the regs that allow up to 500 people on a system without a qualified operator, combined with the huge costs of certification maintenance. It is hoped that water systems will realize the benefits of keeping staff fully qualified, and that it might be reflected in their insurance costs.
• Well mapping project started last year with testing and locating GPS 13 island wells. Following the drought, we tested for PH, sodium, hydrogen sulfide, iron and manganese. We will be retesting those wells this coming month and would like to add a few more in strategic areas. Corix has generously donated 3 water meters which we will place on 3 wells to read normal consumption patterns spring and fall. We will be charting and mapping what we learn, but already trends are starting to show, because of our readings and information from the Islands Trust on subdivisions. Contact Ev or Mary regarding participation or information.
• The 4th annual water workshop will be held Saturday, April 26, 2008. Dr Diana Allen, who spoke at our first workshop in 2005, and Oliver Brandes who is an integral part of the Polis Project on Ecological Governance at UVic are booked to speak. Oliver co-wrote the "Thinking Beyond Pipes and Pumps” and contributed to other Polis publications as well. We have purchased an abbreviated version of this publication fro your information.
• Planning 1-day interactive workshop for water system trustees on governance with the Ministry of Community Services and with VIHA, meeting health dept requirements on issues such as boil water orders, emergency response
  plans and water tests.
• Discussion with Corix for a workshop on meter and backflow preventer maintenance that would qualify for CEU’s.
• All programs are open to ALL islanders, whether you are on an individual well or a water system.
• We have monthly articles in the Mayneliner and other newspapers if topics are island wide
• We put out water conservation messages at every opportunity.
• CRD Director Susan DeGryp has offered to increase our grant-in-aid if I would agree to promote educational programming,
  and take positive action on behalf of all of our southern gulf islands in the interests of water conservation.

Lobbying

• We have waded into the hydrofracturing issue in an effort to have controls passed under Phase 3 of the new groundwater
  regulations. Letters have been sent to each ITLC and Trust Executive Committee requesting support for MIIWSS hydrofracturing position paper asking for due diligence for protection of existing and surrounding wells, special notification of organized water systems, permission from, and recording with, Ministry of Environment of any hydrofracturing activity,
  and banning of all hydrofracturing within a set distance from the ocean.
• To us this does not seem onerous for islands surrounded by salt water.
• We have lobbied for the CRD to have rainwater collection systems included in building code bylaws.
• We have worked with our local trust committee to raise the importance of water issues during our Official Community Plan
  Review. We will be there again to insure the gains made will be recognized in the Land Use Bylaws.

Hydrofracturing

• In our original letter to the Ministry of Environment, we asked for a total ban on the practice. Essentially the reply was--- Get Real, so we are now taking a more pragmatic approach in our lobbying efforts.
• We ask for carefully considered additions to the groundwater regulations, applicable to the Gulf Islands. Both MIIWSS and the well drillers hold biased opinions. We know the well drillers are in business to make money, doing what their customer asks to satisfy the need for water. We are equally biased. We want to see our aquifers protected so that we will have quality water to sustain life on our islands for the long term.
• Our islands are unique. We must do everything we can to have all of the tools in place for long term stewardship and sustainability of those finite aquifers upon which we are so dependant. It is up to US to say what WE want for the future of our islands, and up to the planners and legislators to recognize those needs and put in place those challenging innovative tools to achieve the level of sustainability required for the Gulf Islands.
• Phase 3 of the changes to the Groundwater regs employs a community consultation process and it will be up to the community at that time to make it known that we feel our aquifers qualify as high risk for special consideration.
• For those who have not read the article on hydrofracturing which was sent to several island papers, outlining what it is and an action plan, we have copies available.

Chris Flint, CAIB
Sustainable Infrastructure Society
TOPIC:Water System Insurance,
www.sustainis.org

• Sustainable Infrastructure Society, Aon and Capri Insurance have assembled a liability insurance package for protection of small water delivery groups. Group buying power keeps the rates down as does how well the group delivers water.
• Advice for operators involved in incidents: do not admit liability, always give notice of loss to insurance, cooperate with your insurer and forward all documentation.
• Avoid ‘claims made’ policies – if you were covered in 2004, have an incident in 2004 but don’t report it until a year when you have no policy, it is void. ‘Occurance-based’ policies would cover the incident in 2004 whether or not there was a policy in the year it is reported.
• Risk management services also offered include complaint procedures, information on certified system operators, emergency response plans, watermain flushing programs, water quality advisory procedures.

Dr. Phil Hill
Program Manager for NRCan
Earth Sciences Sector
TOPIC: Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment have very high confidence that global warming is happening and that it is going to continue for 20 years no matter what action is taken.
• BC will have wetter winters and drier summers and there will be greater changes next century than this one.
• There will be more saltwater intrusion into our aquifers due to rising oceans.
• NRCan is identifying impact and risk and recommends that adaptation become a part of community planning.
• Impact can be monitored by compiling data for groundwater and historical media reports of extreme events.

Susan DeGryp, Southern Gulf Islands CRD Director,
TOPIC: Water, A Special Project

• BC’s share of the federal gas tax is now administered by the Union of BC Municipalities. Between now and 2009 it will total $431,000 for the SGI, and can only be used for projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funds could be considered for projects beneficial to the development, upgrade and securement of water supply if the infrastructure is owned by a local government. Ms DeGryp and MIIWSS are attempting to have agreement terms amended to follow closer to the intent of the Agreements and allow for special rebates and installations on fixtures, leak detection meters, or rainwater collection.
• Mayne Island may be selected for a pilot project. Other ideas are welcomed.
• A water council for each island would be beneficial to educate, run programs, a Technical Committee could advise the CRD.

Pat Lapcevic
Hydrologist
Water Protection Br. Ministry of Environment
TOPIC: MoE programs

• Developing Groundwater Program to manage, protect, monitor, regulate, educate, study issues and classify aquifers.
• There are 182 aquifers on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands; 4 are found on Mayne Island.

Sylvia Kenny, B. Sc.
Groundwater Protection Officer, Ministry of Environment
Groundwater Regulations
TOPIC: Well closure and proper sealing

• Phase 1 of new regulations features well identification requirements, standards for well construction, maintenance and closure, and regulation and certification of drillers and installers. New wells must have well caps, identification plate, surface sealing, wellhead protection, well box drain and water tight cover.
• Wells are to be deactivated if they have not been used in five years, closed if not used for ten. Plans for future use could be the exception to this.
• Phase 2 will address new well siting, aquifer cross connections, controlling artesian flow, storage of substances near to wells, flow testing, further standards for construction and installation and well report submissions.
• Phase 3 may include well operation, regulations for water management plans, user conflicts, drilling authorizations. Langley is the pilot area currently, Mayne may be the next.
• Well database has 85,000 records and is available on the internet. See “aardvark.gov.bc.ca”
• Complaint received related to the fact that bulk water removal is permitted currently when shipped in small containers.