Source Water Protection Planning – Hydraulic Creek

2008

$26,400

$23,000

Over 99% of the source water for the South East Kelowna Irrigation District (SEKID) originates from surface water in the Hydraulic Community Watershed, an upland storage reservoir which relies on snow pack for annual water supply. The Interior Health Authority directed SEKID to conduct a Source Assessment of the Hydraulic Community Watershed to identify current and/or future drinking water health hazard(s) and vulnerabilities, characterize the risk posed by each identified hazard and provide recommendations to reduce the overall impacts on the drinking water source. The source to tap theory follows a multi-barrier approach to regulate drinking water by highlighting the importance of thoroughly understanding the drinking water supply from the source all the way to the consumer's tap whereby potential and known hazards are identified, and barriers are put in place to either eliminate or minimize the potential impacts to safe drinking water. This approach recognizes that while each individual barrier may not completely prevent contamination, together the multiple barriers provide a greater assurance that water is and will be safe to drink for the long term.