THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER

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‘Manufactured crisis? - GVRD employees’
union; dam upgrade blamed for low levels

ALLEGATIONS ‘THAT the Cleveland Dam’s earthquake
upgrade has contributed to current low water levels were
voiced Friday during the Greater Vancouver Regional
District’s (GVRD) last scheduied meeting before the fall.

“I see we have had to drain the
(Cleveland) dam 50 to 60 feet,’'
said Lou Sekora, GVRD board
member and Coquitlam mayor.

“! have a strong feeling ... that
may have caused the problem,”
he said.

But GVRD water district man-
ager John Morse disagreed with
Sekora.

“What we have seen in the last

REACHING

EVERY DO

By Anna Marie D'Angelo
and Cheryl Ziola

three months has been unprece-
dented,’’ said Morse.

He said the dam was drained 70
feet, but alrnost all of that water
has been recovered.

July 2 GVYRD water measure-
ments show both Capilano Lake

Corr

OR ON

and Seymour Lake reservoirs were
within six to seven feet ‘tof op-
timum levels.*’ The two reservoirs
supply 80% of Lower Mainland
water.

Cleveland Dam water depth was
dropped from 570 feet to 500 feet
in February and remained at that
level in March. The reservoir was
subsequently refilled after earth-
quake update work was con-
ducted.

The GVRD has maintained that
the dam work has not contributed
to the unusually low water levels.
Capilano Lake reservoir has been

NV businesswoman
Naomi Yamamoto

High Profile: 28

lower than Seymour water levels
during the dry spring.

Meanwhile, the GVRD
employees’ union alleges that the
Jooming water shortage is a
manufactured crisis promoted by
GVRD management. The union
alleges management will have an
easier time operating the bulk
water distribution system with
user restrictions in piace in the
event of a strike.

The union claims restricted
water use would make work easier
for a skeleton supervisory staff.

The union hasn’t had a contract
for 15 mcnths and mediated con-
tract talks last occurred on June
20. At issue is banked time, which
GVRD manajtement wants to
eliminate altogether.

According to a recent GVRD

"MEWS photo Nell Lucente

union bulletin, only a few days of
rain would now fill Capilano and
Seymour reservoirs in contrast to
the GVRD management estimate
of a week to 10 days.

The union also said that
management’s projection of empty
reservoirs by October if there is
no significant rainfall is a great
exaggeration. The union argues
the situation has never happened
in the past and is unlikely to hap-
pen now. :

But GVRD regional manager
Ben Marr took issue with the
union’s statements.

“There is a serious situation in
the watersheds. It is unconnected
(to the potential strike). I find it
unbelievable that someone should

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