Greater Vernon Water (GVW) is tracking the latest climate information to help predict water supply levels for the coming year. Snow pack readings were taken February 1, 2012 at three monitoring stations near the Duteau Creek Water Reservoirs. These readings show the snow water equivalent, or water content of the snow, at 98% on average for this time of year. GVW also tracks snow depth and found levels to be at 88% of average.

Greater Vernon Water is working with the BC River Forecast Centre to track regional climate and snow pack trends. Their February 2012 Report states that increased precipitation in January led to an improvement by 10% in levels. The Okanagan-Kettle Basin, which includes GVW's Kalamalka Lake water source, is at 81% of normal snow water equivalent. The South Thompson Basin, covering the Duteau Creek reservoirs, is currently at 92% of normal. While being close to average, GVW will continue to closely monitor these levels as snow pack plays an important role in supplying water to fill our reservoirs during spring melt.

The BC River Forecast Centre has "predicted that La Nina conditions are expected to continue for the next 3 months throughout most of British Columbia, resulting in cooler than normal and normal to wetter than normal conditions. However, La Nina is more likely to have a significant impact on the Western, Coastal portions of the Province than the Interior."

Greater Vernon Water will continue to monitor climate trends and water supplies as we near the summer peak water use season. Updates will be reported as they are received via media releases, in the Sunday editions of the Vernon Morning Star newspaper, and also online www.rdno.ca/water.

Greater Vernon Water (GVW) is tracking the latest climate information to help predict water supply levels for the coming year. Readings were taken February 1, 2012 at three monitoring stations near the Duteau Creek Water Reservoirs. These readings show the snow water equivalent, or water content of the snow, at 98% of average or about normal for this time of year. GVW also tracks snow depth and found levels to be at 88% of average.

GVW is working with the BC River Forecast Centre to track regional climate and snow pack trends. Their February 2012 Report is expected Wednesday, February 8, 2012 and GVW will be issuing a follow up media release with an analysis of the monthly snow pack trends this year. The Wednesday media release will also include the regional climate forecast from the BC River Forecast Centre, indicating the weather trends that may affect our 2012 snowpack levels, as well as additional information on the Okanagan Basin, which affects our Kalamalka Lake water source.

GVW will continue to monitor climate trends and water supplies as we near the summer peak water use season. Updates will be reported as they are received via media releases, in the Sunday editions of the Vernon Morning Star newspaper, and also online at www.rdno.ca/water.

_{The camera resolution can differentiate material types (cardboard vs. yard waste) but isn’t high enough to decipher sensitive personal information that may be contained in curbside waste such as brand names and document text. The City of Kelowna, District of Lake Country, District of Peachland and Central Okanagan East and Central Okanagan West electoral areas currently receiving curbside collection will be subject to the cameras. The District of West Kelowna is not participating in the program. Photo: Contributed} Repeatedly tossing the wrong materials into your curbside waste carts could find you receiving a $150 fine in Kelowna.

Starting this month, new technology will be used to enforce Solid Waste Management bylaws for Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland and Central Okanagan electoral area residents receiving curbside garbage and recycling collection and the bi-weekly pick up of yard waste between March and the end of November.   

Regional Waste Reduction Office manager Peter Rotheisler says “We’ll monitor compliance by individual households using technology approved last year in the three municipalities and two electoral areas.  Collection trucks are mounted with cameras that can differentiate the type of materials dumped into their hoppers from the wheeled waste carts, imbedded with radio frequency identification tags linking the carts to a specific address.”

Residents placing improper items in the cart will be notified by the Regional District of a problem: either materials that were not supposed to be in the cart or that the cart was not set up properly at the curb.  They’ll also receive a copy of photos taken at the time of the infraction along with educational material on what should or should not be included in the cart.   For subsequent violations, the offender’s municipal bylaw department will be notified and the resident could receive a $150 fine.

While the overwhelming majority of residents in the participating program areas put the proper materials into their carts, some people don’t. “This new approach” he says, “is meant to specifically target individual households and residents that are misusing the curbside program, something that isn’t possible with traditional awareness, education and advertising campaigns.”

“Contaminating the various waste streams is expensive and unnecessary. The wrong item in the garbage, recycling or yard waste cart can damage equipment, cause workplace injuries and typically costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for extra monitoring, sorting, handling and equipment.  It’s an ongoing problem that has not improved in recent years.  We anticipate this targeted monitoring and enforcement program will bring some improvement.”

There are other benefits to the program.  Data collected will help address resident inquiries about missed collections, improve route efficiency, monitor contractor performance, evaluate contract costs, help identify and study trends in waste management behavior and evaluate pay-as-you-throw based billing structures.  

For more information on what to recycle or on the curbside automated program, visit regionaldistrict.com/recycle, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250.469.6250.

Vernon Creek Drainage Basin Will Receive Flood protection

The City of Vernon has qualified for funding under the Building Canada Fund - Communities Component (BCF-CC) Flood Protection Program.

Estimated Project Cost: $960,000

Grant funding: $640,000

Balance: $320,000 (City share) of the project is to be funded as follows: Development Cost Charges: $270,000 approximately & $50,000 approximately from existing reserves or approved 2011 carry-over budget.

The proposed project is the first of approximately four phases of a storm-water control (flood control) and wetland enhancement project located in the lower reaches of Vernon Creek drainage basin. The project is the result of many years of planning and engineering that has allowed the City to secure both private and City owned lands for the proposed works and also identify works on future development lands that will be constructed with redevelopment in the area.

See map of area

The works were originally proposed at a conceptual level in the City's 2001 Master Drainage Plan, for the purpose of flood protection, and further refined through a series of engineering, planning and basin studies.

The project includes construction of infrastructure for flood protection including significant concrete structures and pipe works. The first phase of the project includes construction of approximately 170 lineal meters of 1200 mm diameter culvert, flow diversion structures, associated channel construction including rip rap channel, sedimentation/detention basin, wetland areas for flow attenuation and bio-treatment, and associated works.

Rob Dickinson, Manager, Engineering & GIS says, "The project will limit flooding by providing facilities for conveyance of major storm flows, attenuation of higher flows, sediment removal and floodplain connectivity. A secondary benefit of the project will be a higher level of treatment of water in the basin (metals and deleterious substances) through the use of engineered wetlands. The project will also provide habitat protection and enhancement for blue and red listed species. We still need to go through the environmental approvals process, but we have qualified for the grant and all related costs incurred will now be grant-eligible."