NCID Staff
| Heather Sarchuk | Administrator |
| Louise Scott | Treasurer |
| Jennifer Bradley | Billing Clerk |
| Eli Backmann | Maintenance Supervisor |
| Rhys Thomson | Maintenance Technician |
Water Quality in North Cedar
Introduction
The British Columbia Drinking Water Protection Act requires all water purveyors to provide customers (the public) with an annual report on the quality of their drinking water. The North Cedar Improvement District has compiled the following information to help all of its residents to better understand their drinking water.
The annual report describes where your water comes from, how it is distributed and how we ensure it is safe to drink. If residents have any questions please contact the District office listed in this report and we will be happy to be of assistance.
The North Cedar Improvement District Operates with a permit from the Ministry of Health.
The NCID Water System
The North Cedar Improvement District water system is a ground source which is fed by three wells located just off of Cedar Road, along side the Nanaimo River. Our source from the ground is an Aquifer. The fourth well located on Wilkinson road has been left as a "test" well. During 2007 the preliminary requirements for bringing this well online as a production well were completed and in 2008 application was made to the Ministry of Health for approval of this well as a production well. The Ministry of Health gave approval in August 2009 for us to use the Wilkinson road well for a source of water. That approval was given for us to use, but only during dry weather conditions from May — October. Currently this well is not tied into our distribution system.
The North Cedar Improvement District supplies water through a distribution system of water mains to approximately 1300 homes. The system has two water storage reservoirs, one is located at the beginning of Barnes Road and is known as the Barnes Road reservoir, and the other is located on Glyneath Road, off of Ivor Road and is called the Glyneath Road reservoir. The system is gravity fed and is aided by a booster pump station located on Barnes Road for Cedar by the Sea residents as well as a booster pump station located on Lazy Susan Road to aid with fire flows in the Yellow Point Road area.
The water distribution system is operated and managed by District staff who have their water operators certification and education for the maintenance of a public water system.
District contacts are:
- Heather Sarchuk — Administrator — 722-3711
- Eli Backmann-Public works superintendant - 716-0223
Our water is disinfected using chlorine solution through two chlorination stations. One is located beside the three wells currently in service and the other is located at the Glyneath Road reservoir site.
Water Quality Monitoring Program
Water sampling and testing is carried out weekly throughout the distribution system. Each week two samples are taken via stand pipes that have been installed at various locations on the water system. The two samples are taken at opposite ends of the system which are then transported to the Health Unit. It is then tested in a lab to ensure our water is safe and meets the British Columbia Drinking Water Protection Act. Water samples are also compared to Health Canada's guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. There is also a full spectrum sample taken each January that exceeds the parameters set by the regulations for testing that is carried out.
The water quality and testing program has been set up and is carried out in conjunction with the Vancouver Island Health Authority. We test our reservoirs, low, medium and high flowing water mains, and dead end's sites. All test results are monitored at the lab where the test are conducted, by the Vancouver Health Authority as well as NCID.
The maintenance staff also monitor the chlorine residuals on a weekly basis to ensure they meet Health Standards and to ensure they are not exceeding recommended levels. The District also has a turbidity meter that is used in times of stormy weather or extensive flooding when the water can appear cloudy to ensure these levels do not exceed recommended levels.
The annual reports include all the test results from our water sampling throughout the year.
Paper copies of the test results are available at the District office and the full spectrum report is available upon request. Residents are informed on a regular basis of any news regarding our water system via quarterly news letters.
Maintenance and Flushing Program
The North Cedar Improvement District has a spring and fall flushing program. Flushing is a process of sending a rapid flow of water using a fire hydrant through the piping in order to clean them. This helps improve our water quality by removing sediments and stale water. Regular maintenance and inspections are also performed by the certified waterworks staff. The District plans for replacement and upgrades to the water system as outlined in our Capital Expenditure program. It is the goal of the District to upgrade old distribution lines on an annual basis where funding permits.
Residents are notified in the quarterly news letter on what mains will be flushed both in the spring and in the fall.
Emergency Response Plan
The Safe Drinking Water Regulation of the Health Act requires that all purveyors of water systems have an emergency response plan (ERP) which we can refer to in case of an emergency, which may present a threat to the health of people drawing their water from that system.
As a purveyor of such a system, we need an ERP to ensure the safety of everyone using water from our system, in case of any kind of an emergency, as well as to meet regulatory requirements.
Our ability to respond rapidly and correctly in the event of an emergency will help prevent unnecessary problems and to protect our residents. It may also help save money by preventing further complications to the water system that could be costly to repair.
The NCID Emergency response Plan includes:
- A list of contacts that could be contacted in the event of an emergency. (Regular review and updating of this contact list is undertaken at least every six months).
- List of potential emergency response situations, with action plans. (This is in additional to our standard operating procedures and preventive maintenance programs).
- Maps that show the location of mains, critical control points, (i.e. pump houses, shut-off valves, pressure zones) access routes, high risk facilities such as schools are maintained. A Secondary source of this information is on file with the District's engineer.
A full copy of the plan is available at the District office.
Availability of the Water Quality Report
Residents are notified by the quarterly news letter mailed in the first week of July that the annual water quality report is available at the District office. Shortly after, the reports are also made available for download on our website (in PDF format).