CITY OF VANCOUVER
engineering services
D.H. Rudberg, P.Eng., General Manager
T.R. Timm, P.Eng., Deputy City Engineer

July 13, 2001

MEMO TO: Mayor & Councillors

COPY TO: Judy Rogers, City Manager

Dr. John Blatherwick, Medical Health Officer, VRHB

FROM: Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT: PHASING OF FILTRATION OF CAPILANO SOURCE - GVRD DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PROGRAM
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The Greater Vancouver Regional District has requested that Vancouver City Council provide comments to the GVRD Board on the report titled "Phasing of Filtration of Capilano Source -Drinking Water Treatment Program" (cover letter and report attached). The report was approved by the Greater Vancouver Water District Board on June 1, 2001.

The District recommended a significant change in the Drinking Water Treatment Program, accelerating the Capilano filtration project from 2020 to 2006. This would result in an additional expenditure of approximately $200 million occurring 14 years earlier than previously planned. Vancouver's share of this cost would be about $6.4 million per year, or $31 per household on their annual water bill (presently $261 per year).

This proposal was developed quickly in response to changes to the B.C. Safe Drinking Water Regulation and to water quality incidents elsewhere in Canada. The urgency for a decision was compounded by a contract deadline for the previously envisioned ozonation project at Capilano. Bids for the ozonation project were extended to mid-August, but will expire thereafter.

In response to the GVRD Board's June 1st decision, the District has taken the following actions:

1) Limited public consultation has been undertaken through two public meetings, a meeting of the Regional Water Advisory Committee, and a meeting with a District of North Vancouver committee. Most of the discussion at the public meetings focussed on the previously-proposed Design-Build-Operate contract, but the comments on accelerating Capilano filtration were generally supportive.

2) A meeting was held with RAAC on June 27th. RAAC resolved:

a) That RAAC request REAC to establish a task force, in cooperation with the GVRD and the MHO's, to review Bill 20 legislation, including the financial implications of meeting the higher (1 NTU turbidity) standards, and produce a position paper that contains suggestions for interpretation of the legislation for consideration by the GVRD Board and conveyance to the Province; and

b) That GVRD coordinate discussions with the Provincial and Federal health regulators relative to water quality concerns and applicable legislative requirements.

3) Member municipalities' staff and Councils were requested to provide comments on the report prior to the July GVRD Board meeting. Several municipalities' staff have expressed concern over the cost of the proposal and the brief decision process. Due to the tight time line, most Councils have not responded yet.

4) The District has prepared a report for the July 13th Water Committee meeting, and their subsequent Board meeting, which facilitates future approval of the Capilano filtration proposal but recommends providing more time for the final decision. The District report recommends the following:

"That the Board:

a) Temporarily suspend the Capilano ozonation project by having staff reject all construction tenders and negotiate cancellation of current materials supply contracts;

b) Authorize staff to reallocate up to $150,000 from the existing Seymour filtration and Capilano ozonation project capital accounts to have District staff and the current consultants undertake siting assessments of the possible alternatives for the Capilano filtration plant;

c) Direct staff, together with the RAAC task force, to undertake discussions with the provincial government regarding the Safe Drinking Water Regulation 1 NTU turbidity standard and to report the results of the discussions back to REAC, the Water Committee and the Board by February 2002, and recommend a water treatment process for Capilano water."

The District report also provides alternatives to either proceed immediately with Capilano filtration, or stay with the previous plan to ozonate Capilano water, but does not recommend either of these alternatives.

ENGINEERING SERVICES RECOMMENDATIONS

The District's July 13th Water Committee report presents a middle ground. The recommendations allow time to seek clarification on the new regulations and to have a thorough consultation process, without significantly delaying Capilano filtration if it is ultimately selected. Therefore, we support those recommendations and we recommend that Council adopt the following motion:

A) THAT Council approve the direction established in recommendations a, b, and c of the GVRD Water Committee's July 13th report, canceling the Capilano ozonation contract and allowing for a final decision on Capilano water treatment in February 2002.

D.H. Rudberg, P.Eng.
General Manager of Engineering Services
BPC
ATTACHMENT

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver