Powers Creek Watershed is the predominant supply for the
Westbank Service Area.
The watershed includes six upland reservoirs:
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Lambly Lake
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Jackpine Lake
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Horseshoe Lake
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Paynter Lake
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Dobbin Lake
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Tadpole Lake
Some water is also diverted to the storage reservoirs from a tiny portion of the Lambly Creek and Nicola River Watersheds.
All water sources are diverted into Powers Creek and then to an intake that eventually carries water into a modern treatment facility located just northwest of the Smith Creek subdivision.
The Westbank Service Area supplies irrigation to 385 hectares of farmland and more than 4,350 residential, commercial and industrial connections and a population of approximately 13,000, or just under half the District of West Kelowna's total population. Annually, these users consume 5,300 mega litres of water, with 70 per cent of the volume meeting residential, commercial and industrial needs and the other 30 per cent meeting agricultural demands.
Powers Creek Treatment Plant
Commissioned in 2007, the $18.7 million Powers Creek Treatment Plant on Shetler Drive is one of the most advanced water treatment facilities in the province.
The state-of-the-art, award-winning project delivers drinking water that meets or exceeds federal and provincial standards. In order to achieve this high quality, the plant uses three levels of treatment: filtration, chlorination and ultraviolet disinfection. The present day quality is in sharp contrast to the water quality preceding construction. Each year, spring runoff (freshet) resulted in high turbidity and colour, which posed both safety and aesthetic concerns and often required issuing of boil water advisories.
In the 1990s, trustees for what was then the Westbank Irrigation District set out a plan to resolve the quality issues and modernize their water delivery system. In the following years, the irrigation district managed to save $10 million toward improvements, which would include contributions toward a water treatment facility. In 2005, Westbank ratepayers approved borrowing $11 million to supplement the costs of constructing the 54 mega litre (million litres) per day Powers Creek Water Treatment Plant and 8 mega litre reservoir.
To learn more about the Powers Creek Treatment Plant, visit the History of the Westbank Service area webpage, by clicking here. Information on the plant is found under the heading Advances in Infrastructure.
CONTACT US
If you have questions, concerns or would like more information regarding the Westbank service area, please contact the District of West Kelowna's Utilities Department at: