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Get the facts prior to reservoir decision

There are several points of concern that have not been properly addressed concerning the proposed reservoir.

To the Editor:

Water Reservoir Referendum.

There are several points of concern that have not been properly addressed concerning the proposed reservoir.

1) The $300,000 that the village has obtained to assist in building this reservoir will not remain if it is not built. Other communities in the regional district will be very pleased to have our grant money.  The $300,000 is approximately 25 per cent of the total cost.

2) Being mayor for nine years and also involved in working for health services in Keremeos for over 15 years, I have some basic knowledge on how government functions. If we turn down this water reservoir I firmly believe the province will move us towards the bottom of the grants lists.  They prefer to work with communities that want to move forward and advance their infrastructure programs.  We need grants to improve our infrastructure.

3) The TRUE Consulting Engineering group, in their water governance study in the spring of 2005, did a thorough analysis of the future water needs of the Village and Keremeos Irrigation District  This firm has been involved with water systems upgrades in Osoyoos and Oliver and know agriculture and residential water systems very well. We need to place more acceptance on the professional people involved in the industry.

4) The irrigation district and the village have had a four phase report done between 2002 and 2009 on hydro geological assessments, water flows, water inventories, and a ground water protection plan.  This again is used to intelligently access our future water needs and the safety of water. The K.I.D. and the village have spent years attempting to move the best plan for our citizens, forward.

5) Having worked with Interior Health since its inception in 2002, on health issues in the South Similkameen and the Regional Hospital District, I see a greater likelihood of us having to chlorinate our water if we do not move forward on this upgrade.

I urge all our citizens to get accurate information on the reservoir referendum and consider a much larger perspective of potable and irrigation water systems into the future.  Please review your facts, and then you must get out and vote.

This is how our community will move forward.

Thank you very much, Walter Despot, Keremeos