A decision on the Official Community Plan for Faulder and the surrounding area will be deferred until a study on the Meadow Valley Aquifer has been completed.
At the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen planning and development committee meeting on Dec. 2, Chris Garrish, planning manager with the regional district, said water has been an issue in the rural community west of Summerland.
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“I know there’s a pretty well-established track record of water scarcity in the Faulder area,” he said.
The community relies on the Meadow Valley Aquifer for drinking water. The aquifer seems to be subject to irregular recharge rates, Garrish said in a report to the committee.
In 2008, because of extreme drought conditions, the water system was depleted and water was trucked into the community. In 2015, a deeper well was drilled to supply water to an estimated 215 residents of the community.
Since 2014, the regional district has received a number of rezoning proposals and subdivision applications for properties in the Meadow Valley Aquifer area.
In addition to issues with the aquifer, Garrish said the water infrastructure in Faulder is also limited.
A study of the aquifer has been proposed for 2022.
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