Balfour Water System

On April 12, 2012, Interior Health and the RDCK removed the Boil Water Notice on the Balfour Water System

Size and number of connections

The system currently services the equivalent of 326 single-family-dwelling connections.

Location

The system is located in the community of Balfour, within RDCK Electoral Area E. Balfour is on the north shore of the west arm of Kootenay Lake.

Source

The Balfour water system derives source water from Kootenay Lake. As a result of the many varied uses of Kootenay Lake, this source is classified as higher-risk than some groundwater sources.

System description

The system was constructed in 1947 under the ownership of the Balfour Irrigation District

Treatment

As a condition of the Balfour system becoming a RDCK service, a water treatment plant was installed in January, 2011. The new plant allows for a multi-barrier approach to treatment through a combination of filtration, UV disinfection, and chlorine residual disinfection. The upgrade also included the installation of a SCADA system, which allows for remote system monitoring.

Storage

The system includes a 450,000 litre reservoir. Installation of a second reservoir, located above the portion of the community at higher elevation, is planned for the future.

Distribution system

The distribution system is comprised of PVC, galvanized steel, and asbestos-concrete pipe. Past assessments indicate that some of this piping is over 60 years old, but still in good condition.

Fire-fighting

This system does not support fire-fighting. At present, the reservoir capacity is insufficient to meet the increased water demands that would be associated with fire suppression.

Significant issues

The Balfour population is expected to grow in future years. Historic reports estimated that there will be demand for 200 new connections within 20 years. A 2009 assessment of the system indicated that the current distribution network could be inadequate to serve the water demands of these additional connections. This finding, in addition to the challenges posed by aging system infrastructure, will require full replacement of the distribution system within several decades.

Plans for future upgrades

No upgrades are planned for the immediate future.

Governance

This system was converted to a RDCK service in January, 2011. It was historically owned and operated by the Balfour Improvement District.

Water Quality Concerns

Surveys were mailed to all property owners in February 2012. Balfour residents were asked to provide feedback regarding any water quality concerns they have about their water service. This information will be utilized by the Utilities Department to plan Operations & Maintenance activities and address shortcomings in the water system. The survey results have been mapped and can be viewed in the Balfour Water Quality Concerns map below.

Attached Document

Water Quality Concerns (3.7 MB)