Local residents joined with Regional District of Central Kootenay directors and staff on Friday to celebrate the grand opening of Balfour’s improved drinking water system.
The project included construction of a water treatment plant and upgrades to existing distribution infrastructure. The Balfour water system was converted to an RDCK service in January.
In a short ceremony, regional director Ramona Faust, RDCK board chair John Kettle, and the former chair of the recently-dissolved Balfour Improvement District, Ted Steacy, thanked all involved for their contributions to the successful completion of the upgrades. Attendees then toured the water treatment plant and spoke with staff about the new infrastructure.
The improvements ensure the availability of clean, safe drinking water for the residents of Balfour into the future. The new plant’s state-of-the-art-water treatment processes include media and microfiltration followed by both ultra violet and chlorine disinfection.
Along with the installation of the plant, the Interior Health Authority is expected to remove a boil water notice that has been in place for the Balfour system for over a decade. The withdrawal of this order will also remove barriers to future development in the community, as a moratorium on new water system connections was implemented along with the boil water notice in 2000.
“We are so pleased that the RDCK, the Balfour Improvement District, and our funding partners were able to work together to achieve such a significant benefit for the community,” stated director Faust, who dedicated $200,000 in grant funding to the project.
“The Balfour water system upgrade is one of a number of projects that the RDCK has supported in an effort to improve water quality in our region,” said RDCK chair John Kettle.