Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Water and sewer services in Kamloops will cost you a little bit more over the next five years. The City of Kamloops will be increasing water rates by one per cent in 2023 with sewer rates going up 2.5 per cent, translating into a combined increase of $16 on average for a Kamloops homeowner. Utility Services Manager Greg Wightman says Kamloops has Canada’s most complex water distribution system owing to the topography and the way the city has grown through sprawl.
Anthony Krushel-Wiebe, who lives on Kildonan Drive, discovered a leak in his 1926 non-conforming waterline in May. Instead of conforming – coming from the street in front of his house – Krushel-Wiebe’s waterline originates on a side street and runs underneath a back lane, relegating the line to non-conforming status. He said the leak is associated with a shutoff valve at the side street that could be replaced for $4,500.
A P.E.I. woman who has been lobbying for years for free well water testing may finally get what she has been looking for as part of larger discussions around the new Water Act. Little Sands resident Lynda Kelly has been writing to various provincial officials making the case for one free water test a year. Kelly said it is an important public health issue, and the $40 cost of the test may be enough to put some people off.
