Memo warned of issues with treatment plant

A memo from the City of Penticton Water Quality Supervisor in May of 2005 warned Summerland Municipality of potential issues with the design chosen for our nineteen million dollar Water Treatment Plant. Specifically, this memo refers to the solids in our creek source water.

Our Mayor and Councillors are all long time Summerland residents, as well as much of the District Staff. Anyone who has lived here for a significant length of time knows that Trout Creek experiences turbidity, especially in the spring. How is it, then, that the Treatment Plant design chosen by our Municipality is not able to handle this? Even after warned by another City Water Supervisor, our Municipality chose to continue with this Treatment Plant design. Discussions must have taken place with regard to the solids and sludge. Was there ever a plan to deal with this issue?

It appears the taxpayers of Summerland have paid nineteen million dollars for Water Treatment Plant that only does the job for six months out of every year.