RDCK, New Denver planning boundary-expansion-for-water deal
By John Boivin Local Journalism Initiative
Residents of a tiny community on the outskirts of New Denver may soon be off their 13-year-old boil water advisory.
But it may cost them their independence.
The directors of the Regional District of the Central Kootenay passed a motion at their May meeting to support the Village of New Denver’s application for grant money for capital upgrades to the Denver Siding water system.
But in exchange, the 25 water users in the community would become part of the Village of New Denver- if the deal goes through.
The water supply in Denver Siding hasn’t met Interior Health standards for surface water treatment for years. To try to fix the problem, the RDCK asked the neighbouring village of New Denver if it would be willing to sell its water to them, says Mayor Anna Bunka.
“We weren’t willing to do that, but we were interested in a boundary expansion,” says Bunka, who also sits on the RDCK board of directors. “Under a boundary expansion we would get grants and do the work and bring them up to our standard of water so they wouldn’t be on boil water.”
The grant, under the Strategic Priorities Fund, would pay for a new water transmission line, a new booster station, and the cost of disconnecting houses from the old system and reconnecting them to the new.
“Denver Siding residents will not only get potable water but they will also get the additional services that the village provides,” notes Walter Popoff, the area director that represents those residents. Other services would include garbage pickup and snow removal.
“it’s a win-win situation, as I see it,” he added.
Bunka says New Denver has the capacity to supply its high-quality water, which it draws from wells, to the residents of Denver Siding.
Once citizens of Denver Siding approve joining the Village, the Village will apply for the money to expand its water system. She estimated the project would cost “a couple of hundred thousand dollars”, but didn’t’ have the exact numbers.
There’s been talk of Denver Siding being absorbed by New Denver before- a similar proposal was shot down in the 1990s, says Bunka. But this might be the right time to try again.
“People are fiercely independent wherever they are, and rightly so, they want to look after themselves,” says Bunka. “There will be questions about zoning and all that kind of stuff. We’re amenable to conversations. We’re not looking to curtail what folks are doing.”
Discussions are ongoing with residents of Denver Siding, and the provincial government will want proof those citizens want to join with the Village.
“The Ministry does not look kindly that you are trying to take in residents that don’t want to go,” says Bunka. “I am sure there are some that are going to have a lot of questions and concerns, but those are discussions we will have.”
