The glass is half full—of water—for residents of Upper Fintry, Shalal Road and Valley of the Sun subdivisions.
Dignitaries were on hand Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the newest Regional District of the Central Okanagan water system.
Since construction of the water mains was completed in the spring, more than 50 properties have been connected, with another dozen in various stages of the connection process.
The subdivisions located off Westside Road were previously without access to a community water supply and sufficient water pressure for full protection against fire.
“Thanks to this project more Westside residents now have access to safe, reliable drinking water,” said Dan Albas, MP for Okanagan-Coquihalla.
The Regional District received over $800,000 in funding to help offset the cost of building the new water system, including $407,500 from the federal Gas Tax Fund and $400,000 from the provincial government’s Towns for Tomorrow program.
Property owners within the water service area contributed or financed $17,230 each.
In addition to new water mains, a new well and pump station was built to support the system in the lower Fintry Delta area. Various control buildings and two reservoirs, with a total storage capacity of 1,746 cubic metres of water, were also constructed.
“This new $6 million water system, the sixth operated and maintained by the Regional District, saw the installation of approximately 12 kilometres of water mains providing both treated water and fire flows to more than 340 properties in the three areas,” said Robert Hobson, Regional District chair.
“None of these properties have ever had domestic water service; residents have had to make their own arrangements to get water.”
The Regional District currently operates and maintains five additional water systems, servicing more than 800 properties in the Sunset Ranch, Westshores, Killiney Beach, Falcon Ridge and Trepanier areas.
