creases in contamination.

Tests

showed North Shore

beaches were within acceptable limits at the start of the
summer, but West Vancouver’s Eagle Harbour and Deep
Cove’s Panorama Beach are nudging toward hazardous

levels.

Four North Shore beaches have
recorded the following coliform
results so far this year:

@ Deep Cove (Panorama Beach):
79 (June 25), 99 (July 2), 107 (Ju-
ly 3);

@ Eagle Harbour: 74 (June 25),
86 (July 2), 160 (Fuly 3);

@ Cates Park: 40 (June 25), 38
(July 2}, 51 (July 3);

@ Ambleside: 25 (June 25), 25
(uly 2), 36 (July 3).

A reading of 200 is the -highest
acceptable reading; 2 count
greater than that would prompt
health officials to. post warnings
‘that swimming may be 2 health
hazard.

‘*Tidal currents flush better his-
torically on some beaches whereas
others are in a little bay and you
may get sediment gathering,’’ said
North Shore Health environmental
health director Bill Kimmett.

“*Panorama and Eagle Harbour,
like the same type of beach any-

- where else, are located in a small
tight bay with poor flushing. You
obviously are going to be getting
less flushing of the pollutants,”
said Kimmett.

Panorama Beach is tr.ditionally
closed periodically during summer
months because of feca\ coliform
pollution. in 1996 feca: coliform
levels at the beach reeched 550
with a. closure. in- effect: for 31
consecutive days.

North Vancouver District Parks |
director John Bremner iid the*:

municipality, spent approximately
$40,000 last year attempting to.
pinpoint the pollution source.

Studies

By Anna Marie D’Angelo
News Reporter

“As in previous years, we have
never been able to put our finger
on one source,”’ said Bremner.

He said studies suggest the col-
iform pollution is related to the
fact that the beach is located i in an
urban area.

Possible pollution "sources
associated, with Panorama Beach
include:

@ storm sewers; .
@® contaminated creeks that
discharge into beach water. The
creeks contain dog feces collected
by rain draining off the land;

@ a Canada Goose population of
80 dirds that crowd the beach,
especially in June.

Bremner said this year the sewer
system was thoroughly inspected
with dye tests, T.V. camera in-
spection and for the first time,
pressure testing. Every internal
joint was checked to see if it could
hold air. :

Seventeen joints
grouting.

“There was mo indication from
any we did that these were in fact,
leaking to the extent that would
cause the problem... It probably

needed

_ was a factor, but by doing that we

tean’t say we've fixed the prob-
lem,’’ said Bremner.

"-€anada Wildlife Service sug-
gested a way to control the goose
‘population was to deploy- dogs to
frighten the birds.

Friday, July 10, 1992 — North Shore News - 3

Coliform counts identify trouble spots

Increased pollution levels recorded at Eagle Harbour and Panorama Beach

RECENT FECAL coliform counts reveal two local water
pollution trouble spots are experiencing relatively rapid in-

NEWS photo Mike Waketield

IN MAY students cleaned up the beach in Deep Cove’s Cates Park. Current fecal coiiform counts
show that at! North Shore beaches are within acceptabie limits.

“They said that one thing you
need to do (during the goose’s
moulting non-flying period in
June) was to create the idea in
their minds that-is not safe for
them there and one way of doing
that is to harass them with a
dog,”’ said Bremner. :

“Believe it or not, (Canada
Wildlife Services said) the other
way was to shoot them,’’ said
Bremner.

Council was against the ‘‘scare’’
program of harassing the geese
with dogs, and Bremner said no
action was being taken against the
birds.

Bremner said Stanley Park con-

trols the Canada Goose popula-
tion by selectively shaking eggs,
but the municipality has never
found any nests in Deep Cove.

The municipatity also used new
technology to distinguish human,
dog and bird feces bacteria. The
genetic finger-printing tests are in
early development and Panorama
Beach samples have had in-
conclusive results so far.

“It would have been absolutely
ideal for us if we could have said
that the problem is human feces,
for-example, then we would know
categorically that we have a sewer

problern whereas even if it was the

others, we felt we could then z zero

in on what we had to deal with,”
said Bremner.

The coliform bacteria tested is
found in au warm-blooded
animals.

He added it’s been frustrating
over the years to be unable to find
the problem’s source.

Bremner said Deep Cove’ resi-
dents will receive a newsletter in-
forming them how they can help

-reduce the possiblilty of polluting

Panorama Beach.

West’ Vancouver Parks superin-
tendent Arnold Derenthal said
Tuesday that North Shore Health
had not informed him that there
was a problem at Eagle Harbour.

e price of proposed sewer main

Crist wants community task force formed to consider future of foreshore lands

ONE: : POTENTIAL’ source of water pollution in Deep
Cove could be eliminated next year if North Vancouver
District ‘Council approves the recommendation of its
. Operational Services Standing Committee to proceed with
. design: and funding for a foreshore sewer main below the

' Eastridge’ Road properties.

* But the final price tag of
$600,000 has been ‘substantially
boosted by design studies to en-
sure compatibility with any future
development of a seawalk.

Of 29 residences’ in the
Eastridge, eight properties have
septic taiks and fields while
another 14 use privately-owned
pumping systems to discharge
waste into the existing Eastridge
sewer.

District engineéring staff
reported concerns last year with
this existing disposal system.

Staff told council that the rocky
foreshore was not suited to
ground disposal of septic tank ef-
fluent and that the private pump
systems were vulnerable to power
failures and ‘in many cases have
a history of maintenance problems
which have resulted in sewage
overflows.””

Ongoing studies into the causes
of water pollution in Deep Cove
have indicated that fecally-con-
taminated sediment is not regular-
ly washed out to sea by tidal ac-
tion but tends to settle on the bot-
tom with the potential for re-
suspension.

By Martin Millerchip
Contributing Writer

Council authcrized the con-
struction of a sewer main along
the Eastridge foreshore in June,
1991 but required that ‘‘all studies
be compatible with the future de-
velopment of the seawalk."’

Staff then had to determine
what design limitations might be
encountered with a seawalk pro-
ject and developed ‘‘a conceptual
design of the seawalk to analyze
design criteria such as elevations,
cross-sections, relationships tO ex
isting houses....

Staff worked with three groups
of consultants and consulting
engineers to develop a concept
plan for an integrated sewer and
seawalk project as .well as devel-
oping ‘‘a public consultation pro-
cess” and ‘‘a study of various
alternatives for the project.”

A public information meeting
was held in October, 1991.

But in April of this year council
passed the following motion:
“Whereas the’ proposed seawalk
from from the western boundary

NVD COUNCILLOR Ernie

Cristi... recommends formation
of task force.

of Cates Park eastward and
northward to Panorama Park
raised several concerns regarding
costs and possible compromising
of the natural foreshore environ-
ment, and character of the adja-
cent residentia! area:

Therefore be it resolved that fur-
ther discussions on this compo-

nent of the proposed district walk.

be terminated.”'

The district budgeted $250,000
for the sewer project in 1991 and
a further $50,000 in 1992, but a
staff report presented to the
standing committee on Monday

night notes that ‘‘the additional
survey and design work required
to assure seawalk and sewer com-
patability have increased the cost
of survey, preliminary design and
public consultation over that re-
quired for the sanitary sewer
alone.”

The total budget of $300,000

‘will now only cover the coniple-

tion of the design process, .con-
sultation with the Vancouver Port
Authority, federal ministries and

_ property owners and the tender

call for construction.

The construction of the
foreshore sanitary sewer, a pump
Station at the end of Lockhaven
Road and a forcemain to the
Parkside Lift Station at a total
cost of $600,000 was accepted by
the standing committee and will
be recommended to council. .

The only alternative presented
by staff on Monday night was the
construction of reliable private
pumping systems to connect to the
existing Eastridge sewer at.a cost
of about $40,000 per residence.

However, staff did not recom-
mend this option since it does not
ensure district control over the
construction and maintenance of
the system.

Council’s decision on the staff
proposal will be considered July
20 in conjunction with a motion
from Councillor Ernie Crist who

_has proposed that a community -
task force on foreshore lands be

struck.

Crist suggests that the task
force comprise staff and a
“cross-section of community
groups” and that it should ‘‘make

proposals in connection with the

foreshore lands in the District of
North Vancouver, including a
possible seawalk.’’

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