Monday » May
10 » 2010
Public control of water promoted

Island Water Watchers' two-day forum explores risks of private watershed ownership
Walter Cordery
The Daily News
Monday, May 10, 2010

A watchdog group wants to inform Nanaimo residents about what is happening in their
watershed and will host a two-day forum, including a tour of the watershed, later this
month.

The Vancouver Island Water Watch Coalition was formed in 2005 because members believed
there is a concerted effort to privatize water systems on the Island.

In Nanaimo, Island Timberlands owns the watershed lands and this troubles activist June
Ross."We believe the watersheds should be in the public domain," she said.

Ross said she's been told that because of logging done near the watershed, after a heavy
rain "workers have to spend their time cleaning up the mud and dirt that gets into the water
system because of the runoff due to the logging."
She wants the city to act on one of the recommendations made in a 2007 water supply
strategic plan by Associated Engineering that encouraged the city to acquire the watershed.

The president of the mid-Island branch of VIWW also wants the city to assume ownership
over watershed lands. "We believe something as important as a watershed should be publicly protected," said Rodger Oakley.

Bill Sims, Nanaimo's manager of water resources, said he believes fears of Island Timberlands disturbing the water system are "grossly overstated." "Island Timberlands needs to abide by numerous regulations, such as set back requirements and we do monitor that as well as the quality of the water daily." Purchasing the watershed would be expensive, said Sims.
"We estimated, following the report, that it would cost the city in the $150 million to $160 million range to acquire the watershed."

Oakley said the idea of the two-day forum, set for May 29 and May 30, is to "inform people
where their water comes from." "I'm no logging expert but I think we all may want to see exactly what it is like in the watershed and if logging does harm the water system."

The first day of the forum involves a guided bus tour of the watershed and city water
facilities. On the second day keynote speakers Maude Barlow, Rafe Mair, Corky Evans,
Arthur Caldicott and others will talk about privatization of water systems. The forum is free
but people are asked to register by e-mailing islandwatershedprotectiongmail.com or by
calling 250-716-6964.

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