Vernon’s main drinking water source is under threat! 

Kalamalka Lake is known as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, renowned for its vibrant turquoise waters. It fills the hearts and drinking glasses of locals and travelers alike. 

As summarized in Infotel's insightful article, a very large septic system for more than 200 people (equivalent to 50 homes on septic in one spot!) is proposed for a gravel deposit within 35 to 40 meters of Coldstream Creek at 10080 Ricardo Road, Coldstream, BC. Gravel deposits are often porous. Greater Vernon Water has raised the alarm on the threat to Kalamalka Lake drinking water from spills and leaching. However, the Province is refusing to do a proper environmental review as fits the magnitude  of the project. 

(The above image shows how spring run-off from Coldstream Creek turned the north end of the lake brown in May 2023, underscoring the need to reduce erosion and other nutrient sources along the creek.)

The total effluent estimated by the engineer hired by the company is 21,600 liters per day, just under a set threshold of 22,700 liters per day that would automatically require a review under the Municipal Wastewater Regulation. With a margin of only 5%, effluent will likely exceed this threshold during peak flows, so Interior Health should require that the Provincial authorities review the project, but they are refusing to bother. 

Only locals and those who love Kalamalka Lake care about local water quality. It is up to us to demand professional assessment of the obvious threat to Kalamalka Lake and Coldstream Creek. Gravel is often porous and offers little protection from effluent spills or leaks. The Province must do its job and protect the environment!

Keep Kal Lake blue! We don’t want more algae blooms, swimmer’s itch, beach closures, E. coli or drinking water restrictions due to excess water nutrients. More nutrients in Coldstream Creek will also cause more algae that will choke the spawning beds of the remaining Kokanee salmon.

Please add your voice to demand that Interior Health (IH) recognize that review by BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) is needed for this large septic system. IH and WLRS must ensure this septic system is properly reviewed so drinking water quality is protected. The septic system should either be moved away from the gravel deposit along the creek or built to the highest standard with ongoing monitoring, as required under the Municipal Wastewater Regulation. 

The crystal waters of Kalamalka Lake turn a vibrant turquoise each summer. It has always been know as an oligotrophic (low nutrient) lake with very clean water. However, this turquoise is being muted by human-caused nutrients and erosion that are leading to:

• swimmer's itch (rare before 2017, but now common in the north end of the lake),
• beach shutdowns (e.g., August 2021, August 2024),
• algae blooms (e.g., October 2020, August 2021),
• aquatic weed growth, and
• high drinking water treatment costs (e.g., $85 million budgeted for a new Mission Hill water treatment plant to protect and treat water from Kalamalka Lake for the City of Vernon, Coldstream and other Greater Vernon Water customers). 

The last thing Kalamalka Lake needs is more leaching nutrients or a big spill. The Society for the Protection of Kalamalka Lake therefore calls upon the Government of British Columbia to assume their responsibility as the protector of the province's clean water by ensuring that the threat of a new large septic system is reviewed by independent, professional, government-paid (not company-paid) water quality professionals.

The septic system is for Temporary Farm Worker Housing for VegPro, an agricultural company that produces lettuce boxes. More details can be found in reports by:

• Greater Vernon Water  (https://rdno.civicweb.net/document/206511, see page 4) and the
• District of Coldstream (https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/104534/; https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/98870/) .

In the last link, the Agricultural Land Commission noted that the worker housing was in a good location for maximizing agricultural production: “The proposed site is located on the worst farmland on the property, being that it is located at the low point in the terrain and where a gravel deposit is the situation.” However, the ALC did not consider the obvious risks to water quality of this location for a large septic field.

Temporary Farm Worker Housing buildings 4 and 5 already exist. Buildings 6 and 7 require an additional septic system nearer to Coldstream Creek.

The Society for the Protection of Kalamalka Lake wishes to emphasize that VegPro’s contributions to agriculture and food production are much appreciated, and the temporary and long-term farm workers who they hire are very welcome in the region. The concern is simply for water quality protection.

It is now recognized around the world that excess nutrients should be kept on the land and out of waterways. Eutrophication is the over-enrichment of water that causes algae blooms and other problems. Vegetation and organic soil can take up nutrients in healthy riparian areas or engineered septic systems. Sufficient land and good soil quality is needed to absorb effluent. Although the VegPro septic system is just under the limit that would require assessment under the Municipal Wastewater Regulation, it is reported to be on gravel and adjacent to a waterway that feeds the unfiltered drinking water for the City of Vernon. As noted by Greater Vernon Water, this warrants: 

• a higher level of oversight,
• ongoing monitoring, and
• additional safety measures such as back-up power for pumps to prevent effluent spills.

Residents of British Columbia, please stand with the Society for the Protection of Kalamalka Lake (www.spkl.ca) to demand that Interior Health and the Province protect drinking water quality. Your signature will help ensure that environmental protection in BC is effective and compatible with robust business and agriculture so that our communities can thrive now and into the future.