Regarding the Observer story, Resident questions Salmon Arm Council after Merritt’s sewage treatment plant floods, Mr. Pawluck’s letter raised a serious concern which is not fully explained in the city’s response.
1. When were the floodplain maps for the Shuswap River and Salmon Arm created? Are the floodplain maps current? Is the city relying on the latest updated floodplain information updated for possible future events or is it relying solely on historical data?
2. While the 200-year-old information regarding flood level is informative, surely the concern is for the future. As there are a host of unexpected and unanticipated climate-related weather issues currently negatively affecting British Columbia and the Shuswap, what steps is the city taking to anticipate future unusual climate-related events, such as a flood level in excess of 351 MASL [meters above sea level], which might affect the wastewater treatment plant?
3. Is there an updated City of Salmon Arm climate action plan which will systematically anticipate all areas of climate-related possibilities falling under local council responsibility? And, what systematic plans are there to prepare mitigation strategies in advance? Or, are the city’s plans based on ad hoc climate decision making?
4. In a related manner, a recent Salmon Arm Observer report stated that the city’s water treatment plant could be rendered inoperative by 2030, in the worst case scenario of a drought causing reduced lake level. What is the update on this situation? How is the city dealing with this possibility? Is infrastructure protection covered in the city’s climate action plan?
5. With the City’s GHG emissions slated to continue rising [according to the City’s website] until at least 2029 what steps is the City taking to reduce the City’s rising GHG emissions and to systematically prepare for future climate related occurrences?
Read more: Resident questions Salmon Arm council after Merritt’s sewage treatment plant floods
Read more: Meters seen as top option for conserving Salmon Arm water
Wayne Spencer
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Sign up for our newsletter to get Salmon Arm stories in your inbox every morning.