Answers more than ever will certainly be sought from provincial ministry officials in Spallumcheen this evening.
The Inter Ministry Working Group, which is trying to solve a water issue problem in the township, is holding a roundtable public input session from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hullcar Hall, followed by a public meeting on the topic from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
A day before the meeting, the Steele Springs Water District – which has been under a water quality advisory for nearly three years – announced the nitrate levels in its water source, which led to the advisory in the first place, have reached its highest levels ever.
Water district chairperson Brian Upper said an Interior Health representative collected a sample from its source and the sample reading was 15.5 parts per million.
Anything below 10 is considered safe.
“Our nitrate level has spiked 50 per cent in four months,” said Upper, who is hoping for a large turnout tonight.
“It’s up to the government to finally step up to protect our water. Please come to hear what they have discovered from their investigations and what they plan to do about the problem that they basically allowed to happen.”
Al Price, co-chair of the Save Hullcar Aquifer Team (Hullcar aquifer is the water source) said the latest sample result is “mind-blowing.”
“Infants less than six months old can die,” said Price. “This is the highest reading ever.”
The breakout table session will feature individual ministry staffers at their own table and prepared to answer questions from the public. The public meeting then follows.
