Hi folks. It’s been some time since the last instalment of the ongoing lack of CVRD compliance, regarding the Graham Lake Water System’s SWTO (Surface Water Treatment Objectives) and subdivision fire hydrant requirements. In the background there continues to be plenty of CVRD executives deflecting, deferring and dismissing the service participant’s (taxpayer) questions and concerns. Given what has just transpired in the state of California, specifically to Pacific Palisades, the hope, especially for those in the Graham Lake subdivision, would be a sober and objective consideration of the following information.
The phenomenon of local government failure in North America continues with the Pacific Palisades as another catastrophic example of fire disaster like Lahaina.
According to CVRD CEO, James Warren, fire hydrants are essentially passé and no longer required for subdivisions in British Columbia (January 14th 2025 email). Pacific Palisades fire fighters and taxpayers are expressing a very different perspective (https://www.youtube.com/
Fire hydrants and water supply are the most critical components of fire suppression for structures in subdivisions especially when there is an Interface fire at the doorstep. This was demonstrated in Kelowna where subdivision homes and their new water treatment facility were saved (https://www.youtube.
Pacific Palisades was a textbook interface fire. Once a fire is underway, it is beyond routine prevention, only water suppression can be used to regain control. Water bombers are designed for wildfires. Fire hydrants designed for structures and subdivisions. Both require water, lots and lots of water. The only thing worse than not having the necessary water resources is causing water resources to fail when you have and need them. Our subdivision has a 53 million gallon water reservoir (Graham Lake) which is only available through the existing engineered subdivision fire hydrants that are in place at no additional cost.
We know there is climate chaos. Pacific Palisades knew in advance of the extreme incoming weather conditions. Where was the preparation and plan? Negligence and incompetence overwhelms in the explanation of the recent Pacific Palisades fire. The existing water supply reservoirs and fire hydrants failed. Why was the Santa Ynez Reservoir water unavailable? Its 117 million gallons had been drained downed in February 2024 to repair its flexible cover. No one seems to know why the 2-4 week repair had not been completed. How long have our subdivision’s existing fire hydrants been out of service? Of such great importance was this water to fire hydrants, Governor Gavin Newsom has initiated an investigation to why the reservoir and hydrants were not fire ready (https://x.com/gavinnewsom/
Pacific Palisades taxpayers have found out the hardway that incompetency and negligence of/ from public governance has consequences, regardless of paying the highest tax rate in the State.
So once an interface fire is underway it does not patiently wait around for prevention and suppression failures to be corrected. With the Pacific Palisades devastation so absolute there are the nihilistic excuses that “nothing” could have been done. Frontline fire fighters in the Pacific Palisades say otherwise. Will our explanations be that “nothing” could be done?
(https://www.youtube.com/
With some ingenuity, proactive Los Angeles area citizens and fire fighters, utilized pool water to save homes (https://www.youtube.com/
Over the past seven years CVRD has explored cost effective water treatment solutions. Really? By refusing to include life saving fire fighting water operation to an ever expanding scope-less, budget-less water “project”.
Service participants have been patiently waiting for any “project” metrics to appear. Chronic negligence and incompetence masquerading as project patience is neither a friend or virtue of fire codes, regulations, standards and best practices. It’s dangerous, costly and foolish to think otherwise.
Some service participants ask what happened to our $250,000 capital fund? Others expressing it’s all a “money grab” and “a scam”. Where is the $1.2 million dollars that our elected representative Daniel Arbour secured to solve our water problems? Where is Daniel Arbour? Vancouver Island Health stated money cannot be an obstacle to delay and procrastinate SWTO compliance. It is now the extreme opposite, the cost of a runaway grandiose scheme is the obstacle. It’s obvious to some with decades of water, fire and mechanical project experience that cost effective and best value solutions are not a CVRD engineering priority for our water treatment and CVRD inflicted fire protection problems. Outrageously increasing, non-compliant, boil notice, water rates are the priority to support this “grandiose scheme “. There will be continued financial hardship and diminishing return on money spent with the current trajectory.
The growing subdivision advocacy realize these issues are ultimately about the life and safety of our families, our property, our subdivision and growing island community.
Do not overly count on your fire insurance as a saviour as experienced by the residents of Pacific Palisades, Lahaina, Lytton, Fort Mac , Jasper, Kelowna, ect.
It is us, the taxpayer and not the CVRD that will bare the entire cost and loss of absolutely everything.
Thank you for your continued questions, comments and support.