BRIEF ON GYRD DRINKING WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES
Presented by the Social Justice Conmmiltee
of ihe Beacon Unitarian Churel
April (st, 1994

Living in the Lower Mainiand of British Columbia we are blessed with a mild climate und natural beauty on aur
very doorstep, There ix a cost thot we must be prepured to pay as residents of this rich und fragile terrlwry, To
live in a sustainable way, in balance with nature, it is oue responsibility Wo respect and preserve the nutri
environment as much as possible, This responsibility includes ensuring that the water that we have treated in ordur
( protect human health dees not ltsel! pase a hazard to fish,

The hazard posed ( fish by the use of chioraining as a secondary disinfectant cannot be ignored, Each yeur aver
100,000 salmon and trout spawn in Feaser River wibutaries (stall erewks and strauing) within the Greater
Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), ft will be lpossiily to protuct those Icibutarivs aguinst water main breaks
with any degres:of reliability, Normal uses of water outdoors such as for lawn watering, car washing, und fire
fighting will also release treated water to the loval environment and in many locutions into fsh-hsuring streans,
The major earthquake that is forecast fur this area will no doubt reldase a great volume uf treated water with lithe

or no opportunity for mitigation.

The document GVRD Drinking Water Treatment and Supply Strategies states tor the chioramination option: "DFO
(Federal Department of Fisheries snd Oceans) prosecution potential high as same tsh klily will undoubtudly
occur.” The issue here fs not potential fines but our moral obligation us stewards of the rich und sensitive
environment in which we live, Chloraminutlon must be elimbauted ax a alternative for sevandary disinfeciion
on this grounds alone. Funds spent on installing pocmanunt protection schemes in particularly KUNKIVE Brey
would be better spent in installing a secondary disinfectant system that dogs not pose a significant hazard to fst

in the first placa,

The decisions that we face for aur water system have long-term implivations, We should aut be thinking In terms
ofa “qulek fix", For thasake of the people who will live in this aren (or years to come we must (hink in terms
af designing the best possible system that we can for both hunian health and for the environment,

The Sovtul Justive Committes of the Beacon Uniturlin Church strongly recommends that the GVRD choose Option
4 from tiie GVRD Drinking Water Treannent and Supply Strucesdes, (new daar at Seyawur Balls, (Ute all sources,
and xeloct chlorine tor secondary disinfection.) ‘This option provides che cleanest water and ceduces the qumbur
of rechlorination stathons required, This uption ia much fuss likely 10 cause u problem for the fish, [meets the
water quality standards in an environmentally sate way und provides an adequate supply of water beyonil the yuur
2041, We belleve that the peupls of the Lawer Mainland ure willing to take the investment to have such u high

quality water system,

The following are (he names of the people on the Social Justice Committee who support the tenets af this
briefs

Frances Deverell Sandy Burpee Frederica Bolton
Allison Fenn Beth Blick Mary Kendall
Sally Frith / Greg Fenn Dennis Probst

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