Nanaimo-Info-blog: Nanaimo City’s Water Options Explored

Chief Douglas White, Mayor John Ruttan, Mr. Levi SampsonLooking To Nanaimo Forest Products To Supply Water
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Mayor Ruttan announced that the city is in the very early stages of investigating options to supply the future water needs of our growing community. It is stated that city engineers expect our current supply will have reached it’s limit in another 10 years at the expected rate of growth and expected rate of consumption.

Mayor Ruttan stated that the city had basically two options to solve future demands for water and they are to build a dam or possibly make use of Nanaimo Forest Products water supply to meet needs. Conservation and other measures were offered as options by Chief White who made it clear that Snuneymuxw First Nation had serious concerns as to how either options would impact the region.

While Chief White was of the impression that the City had made it clear Snuneymuxw did not have a place in the discussion between the city and Nanaimo Forest Products (Harmac), Mayor Ruttan made it perfectly clear that the city would not be proceeding with any agreements that had not been examined and agreed to by the Snuneymuxw. He offered his hand to Chief White, and the two leaders shook on this statement.

This is obviously a very serious issue facing Nanaimo going forward and there are many, many issues which need addressing as to how best to deal with this most basic human need. That of a good supply of safe drinking water.

Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest