Oliver granted early approval for $330,000 of the yet-unapproved financial plan to be spent on irrigation canal ionizers and canal intake screens.
The two capital expenditures were already included in the draft 2024-2028 Capital Plan to be completed in 2024, but due to the time frame around opening the canal and the time needed to fabricate the items, early approval was sought before final council approval of the financial plan.
The irrigation canal ionizers come at a price tag of $150,000. This funding will go towards the installation of two permanent ionizers in the canal. One is planned to be placed at Road 2, and one to be placed at the diversion from Okanagan River.
There will also be $180,000 spent towards installing canal intake screens. The money will be fully taken out of the town’s water reserves. The town did try and obtain grants to complete this work, but were unsuccessful.
Water councillor Bhupinder Dhaliwal noted that there was an ionizer recently used in 2023 in the canal and wondered how that would be used. Kelly Mercer, director of operations for the town noted that the previous ionizer was “experimental”. The ionizer was not up to the task, so the town will “utilize those parts the best we can but these are two permanent in place ionizers.”
Mayor Martin Johansen also asked about the safety around these in the canal. Mercer replied that both will be in fenced off areas, with one floating in place on the canal. They will also be installed with adequate signage considering there will be electrical.
