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Natural resources at stake

Kaleden residents could see water supply affected by the future development of Twin Lakes

This letter is in response to the one sent to all Kaleden residents who might be affected by the future development of Twin Lakes.

The idea of allowing developers to drastically alter the quantity and/or quality of our natural resources, namely our water, trees, landscape, air or olfactory environment, is an infringement on our rights. Most who reside here came here for the tranquil beauty of a small, rural community. We liked the idea of meeting and greeting the neighbours with slow growth over the years. Big developers have come with money. Money speaks. The response from RDOS has been: “It’s his property and he can do what he wants with it.”

In this case, it’s a proposed reduction of 75 per cent of water resource per ‘household’ at Twin Lakes, to leverage the accommodation of a future 640 persons. (Curious if ‘the water police’ will be scrutinizing all future and existing residences.) The proposed reduction of 1,900 litres per day equals approximately half a gallon per minute.

The residents of 136 single-family units, and 72 multifamily units, as described in this developer’s plan, cannot function without changing some basic lifestyles. Most homeowners know only of ‘alternate day’ watering patterns. They are not aware of some radical effects of sharing a limited source of water.

This means that the water in a tap can start to cough and spurt if someone else is trying to water a few roses, or perhaps a shower head is leaking, or someone gets extra company for a week and provides showers, washing, etc. for their guests.

I have lived in Twin Lakes for over 30 years and have always drawn water from a well. Some of the years have been very dry; this is common in the Southern Interior. Living here has mostly been two persons and one dog. In those dry years I mentioned, it has meant no outdoor watering. It meant selective toilet flushing, short showers and collection of grey water for plants. It meant washing clothes in Penticton. It also meant bringing home water in jugs for washing hands and face throughout the hot summer days. Only those who have had lean times with water issues will truly understand the lack of this precious resource.

Can we possibly venture a guess as to how many times these 640 persons will be flushing a toilet in one day — lest we even begin to think of how this effluent could be leached back into the same aquifer that supplies them? Or does it get sent on a little further down the underground path to the folks at Trout Lake (oops, sorry guys)?

And how about that lodge that’s on the back burner for the Kaleden Acres developer? Just where is the water going to come from for ‘that’ future development?

In answer to the letter as to how I feel about ‘changing of the variance of water application,’ for resort/residential development at Twin Lakes: I feel it’s the second most foolish thing that RDOS could pass. The first foolish thing was when they did pass this same variance for a bastardized development called Kaleden Acres, which, by the way, is eroding and collapsing from the dynamiting and disturbed land-clearing tactics of that developer.

Ms. Sam Verigin

 

Kaleden