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Dear Editor:

Lappland vour balanced and accurate treatment of the North Shore water issuc (“Thirsting after some dam answers,” June 27). You hit several nails right Gi the head. Such as how taxpayers could be spared wasteful expenditures on planned works at Cieveland dam.

Among many reasons cited recently why Capilano Valley should be withdrawn from the GVRD water-supply system, one stands out to anyone with a littie sense of geography. Look at a map and a beautiful

GVRD has

- Dear Editor. -

Re: Thirsting after “soine dam answers, North Shore News, June 27.

I read your column with interest as I have attended every upen meeting the GVRD has presented and I am a resi- dent on upper Capilano Road.

Tt appears to me that you do not have all the inforniation on the Cleveland dani project resulting in incorrect state- meats. Firstly, the $350 milion is:not.only for turbidity and quality of the water. The major

_ portion of this project is re alr tothe cast bank of the which is tcaking subsurface, which if left unattended would in ‘time probably: collapse the wall causing carastrophic flood- ing. Regarding the noise over two or four years i decm it should be tolerated if we have any.concem for those down river, <9".

“With regard. (20) the pro- posed ‘ionizing Plant, from a professional engineers point of view it-inakes sense. This will certainly improve water quality with use of fess chlorine result-

- ing in minimal ‘chlorine smell

rhorne pe

valley, ringed by spectacular Mountains, close to people and near to the coast road and ter- ries, and there must be a more enlightened use than fenciag it off.

Bur there is another reason. You mentioned the water qual- ity probleins with deadly micro-organisms and turbidity in Capilano take, Most people seem unaware of a third hazard — airborne pollution of the watersheds by heavy metals. Research at UBC published last year (by Pott and Turpin in Water, Air and Soil Pollution) showed that highest concentra-

north shore news

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tions af lead, cadmium, nickel and zine were found on the North Shore mountains, adja- cent to Vancouve! the levels decreace steadily east- wards through Seymour and Coquitlam watersheds reaching a dow around Harrison Lake, The airborne pollacants originate from furnaces, vehi- cles, mineral and chemical pro- cessing, oil refining, wood industries, food industrics and other sources in the Lower Fraser Valley. They hang around in the familiar atmos-

pheric haze, and are carried on -

prevailing winds until flushed

come clean on water

by the users, and reduce corro- sion of the distributing pipe- nework, At previous mect- ings/presentations by GVRD personnel, I have scen their proposal which in my opinion is acceptable.

You meniion a cost-benefit study. T believe delaying this project will only increase the costs. Have you discussed this subject with the GVRD or are you just making an assumption that they have not undertaken such a study?

It would be interesting to ascertain the percentage of the demand supplied by Cleveland dam currently and planned furure. Your statistics. of the watershed sizes seem biased. What is important is the water volume entering the respective dams, In your article you state that the GVRD’s water com- mittee is researching the feasi- dility of tapping into the Fraser Valley water-supply system, does this not satisfy you? I clal- lenge you that the Harrison Lake dwarfs the three existing sources. Also, would the GVRD be entitled to tap into this source? You mention that

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the water quality from the Harrison source is considered excellent — by whom and on which technical parameters?

I believe the GVRD has been open to the public regard- ing this project in presenting at

‘least three open. sessions to asertain the near residences input and comments as well as suggestions.

Tam against your sugges- Hon of converting it to a recre- ational lake. Have you thought of the noise of motor boats and the waffie and parking conges- hon over the weekends that this quiet neighbourhood would sutfer/contend with? J.Q.6. Gardner, PEng. Jonathan.Gardner@nre.ca

down in our cains. We get more winds trom the southeast and cast than from other directions, which may explain why the Capilano watershed receives the most pollutants.

Data TP have seen indicate that the airborne pollutanss have not yet got inte the lake over Vancouver's very brief his- tory. But water supply planning should take account of the effects of time, climactic

Friday, July 2, 1999 ~- North Shore News - 9

change, and ran that is more acid, in releasing pollutants into the water in the future.

Why should we be expected to RU our glasses, and future generations to fill theirs, with the highest risk water? It does not make any sense.

The cost of the rehabilita- tion work at the Cleveland dam may be surreptitiously raised $2.8 million by a fly-by-night proposal to relocate a stretch of

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jutants threaten dam water

the access road 150 feet from the existing road in order to reduce noise levels at certain houses, several occupied by officials and engineers of GVRD and/or — North Vancouver district.

John Nowland jnowland@istar.ca

reed 2 habeut!