Kevin Gillies News Reporter THE dry season, and its inherent water-use restrictions imposed by the Greater Vancouver Regional District, is upou us once again. The lawn sprinkling restric- tions, announced last week, are perennial as the grass — whether it’s green or brown. “There’s a lot of water up there,” says West Vancouver mayor Pat Boname of the North Shore water sheds which service Greater Vancouver.“It’s not so much a problem with quantity, it’s a ‘ problem with storage,” said Boname, who also sits on the ’ GVRD’s water committee. But it doesn’t have to be a problem: in the future, say our neighbours to the east. The Fraser Valley Regional District says they have an endless sup- ply of pristine water. “In 15 years, Mission and Abbotsford will be plugged into the Harrison ke because we will have out- grown Norrish Creek,” says Mission mayor Randy Hawes - who also chairs the. Fraser Valley Water Commission which supplics water to Abbotsford and Mission. In a late-Aprii interview he said the Harrison reservoir is huge and that Greater Vancouver residents may be able to benefit from using it toc “It i probably 30 times bigger than the watersheds that are currently being used for Vancouver or Mission and Abbotsford,” he said. In April his group made a pitch to sup- ply the eastern G munic- ipalities water. | Greater Vancouver Water District offi- cials are taking the proposal seriously. “A technical task group is ‘cing, to look at it and exam- ine it,” said GVRD official John Morse who added the two districts will work togeth- er on it. The committee is in the process of being put together. ‘Water committee members received a memo from Toiva Allas, the GYRD’s administra- tor of regional utility plan- ning. Ic says: “Since the FVRD is committed to devel- oping the ‘Harrison Lake source for its own needs, it would be prudent to consider whether this project could fea- " sibly and cost effectively pro- vide 2 portion of the District’s future water supply needs.” Allas said the technical group will completely exam- ine the feasibiliry of the GVRD hooking, into Harrison. The Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam lakes supply Greater Vancouver — from Horseshoe Bay to Maple Ridge, Langley and Tsawwassen — and its 1.8 mil- lion People with their tap water. The three reservoirs have the capacity to supply water — summer restrictions included — to three million residents. . “It’s a fascinating discus- sion,” says Roname. “If we look at the Harrison Lake sys- tem, that will change the narth shore news SUNDAY FOCUS SEYMOUR FALLS DAM expectations and cust on the (GVWD distribution) | sys- tem.” . But GVRD officials aren’t about to endorse the plan before the study. “I think, for the foresee- able future, the capacity in our three reservoirs is sufficient for our needs in the GVRD,” says Allas. The GVRD administrator says Hawes’ suggestion is “intriguing” but that the main G goals are water conser- vation and cost effectiveness. He says summer sprinkling restriction are not indicative of a dwindling amount of water in the reservoirs. “It’s not, per se, that the reservoirs don’t have cnough water, it’s the distribution sys- tem,” Allas said, adding it can’t handle the large amount of water used for summer lawn sprinkling. “If we took enough water out to serve 10 million people, the lake’s water level would decrease by less than one centimetre.” The restrictions force water conservation, “So ... the restrictions are part ofan ongoing program to conserve water; akin to recy- cling solid waste,” Allas said. “Those three reservoirs have to supply the base load in the GVRD in any case.” Nonetheless, Hawes — who can ameliorate | his regior’s water expansion costs by including the GVRD — insists it would be wiser for GVRD officials to start plan- ning for the use of Harrison water now instead of discover- ing in 50 years that the plan should have been followed all along. The Fraser Valley’s top water administrator Al Kraus says the Harrison reservoir could “casily” provide cold clean water for up to 100 mil- lion people. The GVRD, presently home to 1.9 million people, is expected to grow by another onc million residents in the next 25 years. Kraus said, “If we took cnough water out to serve 10 million people, the lake’s water level would decrease by less than one centimetre.” He also points to a hydrol- ogy study completed this week which shows Harrison water levels peak during the summer months — when the water's needed most. Hawes say the lake’s capac- ity is one of its key selling point. “There’s no problem with quantity at all,” says Hawes. “The watershed is 7,800 square kilometres. By compar- ison the Capilano, I think, is around 180 to 200 sq. km.” Plus, Hawes expiains, the lacial-fed Harrison Lake olds water so cold that bacte- rial growth is minimal and needs far less chemical weat- ment. He notes the three GVRD Ivkes, by comparison, need constant upgrading to match growth and the GVRD has budgeted around $335 mil- lion (in 1997 dollars) to upgrade the drinking water system. The GVWD has just prepared a call for proposals to build and operate a filtration plant for the Seymour reser- voir projected to cost $117 million. Eventually — construction will involve drilling two tun- nels between the North Shore lakes and pumping water from MAPLE RIDGE ons to the other. Meanwhile, work on Cleveland dam scep- age repairs and water treat- mest upgrades will commence later this year. Last year members of the Grouse Woods the GVKD’s planned seepage control and chlorination con- struction at Cleveland Dam and the hardships it would cause area residents. “We belicve you’re trying to turn a beautiful residential area into an industrial area and we will not tolerate it,” said association —_—representative Mike Murphy in an Oct. 11 North Shore News story. Hawes says Harrison Lake could supply three British Columbia’s with no environ- mental impact. “We're saying, we're going to pipe it into our system, regardless of what GVRD wants to do,” he says. “But it just makes sense to us that we take a look at increasing the size of the pipe to accommo- date — if nowhere else — cer- tainly Langley, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, Surrey.” He says it would take a lot of pressure off of the GVRD . system. “Otherwise they’re going to have to make their dams bigger and all the rest of it,” Hawes says. “I know that’s got some pcople up in arms.” Hawes, however, feels the Harrison proposal is a no brainer. A December 1988 study of the concept by West Vancouver consulting engi- necrs Dayton and Knight sug- gests Hawes is right on the money. Residents’ | Association expressed anger at © Sunday, June 13. 1999 — North Shore News — 3 LEGEND ~--~ Existing CFVWC Transmission System — Enzisting GYWD Tronsmission System —— Existing Chitfiwock Transmission System ame Futore CFVWC Horsison River Transmission System «oe Potential Transmission System B Reservoir /Purmpiag Stations , f MISSION chs “ o on Nia ona THE size of the Harrison watershed area dwarfs its neighbouring Capilano and Seymour sisters. it’s water is also colder and therefore purer. The report pegs the long- term cost of water from the Fraser Valley at $0.22/1,000 litres. By comparison, the report says, the GVWD’'s long-term cost will be $0.33/1 ,000 litres. It also states the growing eastern GVRD municipalities _ that rely on the Coquitlam watershed will pay costs to the regional district in the $0.66/1,000 litres range. “In the case of the City of Surrey, for instance, the $0.44/1,000 litre difference represents potential yearly GVRD levies in the $40 mil- lion range,” says the report. The report recommends the eastern towns be appraised _ — and they have been — of ° the concept. But perhaps the biggest benefactor could be the North Shore where GVRD dams and watersheds are our backyard. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” says Boname. Hawes agrees, “There’s a future to this,” he says. “I have every confi- dence that 20 years from now you will see. much of the GVRD being ©-i out of the Harrison. — “It makes too much sense not to have that happen.” Public info sought The Greater Vancouver Water District wants to hear from the public on its watershed management plans. Local residents can contact them by either: calling (604) 492-6339; IB faxing (602) 432-6399; & e-mailing ; ® or filling cut the GYWD form at .