Groundwater Protection Planning

2008

$62,000

$25,000

This is a continuation of groundwater protection efforts undertaken by the Kelowna Joint Water Committee (KJWC) to develop groundwater protection measures, implement these measures and establish contingency and emergency response planning processes. Phase 3 in the Groundwater Protection Planning work involves a progression of the work already completed in Phases 1 & 2 of the provincial well‐head protection procedure. It is partially intended to comply with health requirements of the Interior Health Authority (IHA) and to protect potable groundwater sources throughout the Kelowna area. Phase 3 works included the completion of a workshop where a risk assessment of each well was reviewed and the groundwork was laid for cataloguing and ranking these risks, and developing a risk mitigation strategy. IHA staff attended portions of the workshop to review and contribute to the assessment. Work continued beyond this project to include additional meetings with municipal and regional District planners to update and get input from them with the goal of integrating groundwater protection in land use planning on a municipal scale. The information developed should strengthen the City of Kelowna Official Community Plan and produce the basis for City-wide bylaws that will protect our groundwater resource.