Balfour Water System

Sign-up instructions for the EyeOnWater portal website service can be found HERE.  

The Regional District strongly encourages water users on the Balfour water system to sign-up for the EyeOnWater portal website service in order to monitor their consumption and identify potential leaks. 

System Description and Governance

The system was constructed in 1947 under the ownership of the Balfour Irrigation District.  The Balfour water system became a Regional District service in January 2011.  Community repsesentation is provided by a Volunteer Water System Community Advisory Committee.

Annual Drinking Water Information

Size and Number of Connections

The system currently services 265 active connections.

Location

The system is located in the community of Balfour, within RDCK Electoral Area E. Balfour is on the north shore of the west arm of Kootenay Lake.  The Kootenay Lake ferry landing is located within this water system.

Source

The Balfour water system derives source water from Kootenay Lake.

Treatment

The water treatment plant was installed in January, 2011. The plant provides multi-barrier treatment through a combination of filtration, UV disinfection, and chlorine residual disinfection. 

Water Quality Monitoring

Storage

In spring 2015, the existing welded steel treated water reservoir in Balfour developed weld cracks and started leaking. The reservoir was replaced in summer 2018, with a new 1,375 cubic meter reservoir. The new reservoir has been sized for future growth within the water system, and fire water storage.

Distribution System

The distribution system is comprised of PVC, galvanized steel, and asbestos-concrete pipe.

Fire-Fighting

The new reservoir capacity meets the increased water demands that would be associated with fire suppression. RDCK Water Services has submitted this and updated water system information to the Fire Underwriters Survey in fall 2018. Please contact your insurance provider for additional information.

Significant Issues

The Balfour population is expected to grow in future years and two large, phased developments are underway.  Balfour had a demand and capacity concern in recent years.  Even with the treatment running at full capacity higher level water conservation measures needed to be issued during hot, dry weather.  Universal water metering was implemented in 2018 and 2019, resulting in reduction in water leakage and water wastage.  In addition, development is providing additional water supply from new groundwater wells at the cost of the new development.  Much of the Balfour distribution is aging and water lines are in need of replacement.

Plans for Future Upgrades

The Regional District was successful in obtaining a Clean Water & Wastewater Fund (CWWF) grant of over $2.8 million in 2016 for capital upgrades including: a new water storage reservoir, universal metering implementation, standby power, and distribution capacity and reliability upgrades along Highway 3A and Busk Road.

The ferry landing water line was replaced in 2021 with funding from a Community Works grant and costs were reduced by coordinating the water line replacement with the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure's ferry landing upgrades.

Additional aging water line replacements are required to improve system reliability, water quality and fire flows, and to reduce water leakage.  Water line replacements are being planned and implemented as funding becomes available through reserve contributions or grants.

Universal Metering

The following goals were achieved with the implementation of universal water metering in 2018 and 2019:

  • improved water loss management
  • increased water conservation
  • reduced capital infrastructure costs for capacity upgrades
  • equitable water rates
  • reduced consumption

Asset Management Planning

An Asset Management Plan is complete and updated annually.  The Asset Management Plan identifies required asset replacements over a 25 year and 100 year period and identifies annual contributions to water system reserves require to fund the replacements.

Balfour was considered to be in a poor financial position for asset management replacements in recent years.  Balfour's financial position is now much better with recent rate increases and anticipated additional revenue gained from recent developments.

The content on this page was last updated August 3 2023 at 5:05 AM