In the upcoming years, a significant amount of development is expected as well as more stringent water quality regulations. In conjunction with this, the distribution system is now over 35 years old and additional maintenance is expected. Following is a list and description of the projects that BMID is considering in the next five years.

(above photo - Gopher Flats valley above would be flooded with 20 metres of water)

Black Mountain Reservoir
This reservoir has been planned at this site since 1949. Since 1983, BMID has owned the land for the reservoir. It provides several benefits for the District. It allows for a more secure water supply for the domestic and irrigation customers within the District as it provides for 3,700 ac-ft of additional water storage. This reduces the drought potential to BMID in the dry years. Most importantly, it provides a safety buffer for our primary supply conduit which is located in a precarious location on the silt bluffs 250 feet above Gallagher’s Canyon. The reservoir will allow a greater degree of flexibility by which water can be drawn from Mission Creek. The higher colour waters in the lower elevation watershed can be bypassed while this reservoir provides the interim feed to the District. Associated with the reservoir would be a low head high volume pump station, a transmission main to the north, an upgraded disinfection facility which would include UV and on-site hypo-chlorite generation, and possibly a Direct filtration water treatment plant for the low flow times of the year.

Ultraviolet Disinfection As part of the water quality improvements, BMID is considering the installation of UV disinfection. The water from our WTP is of sufficient quality for UV light to be effective in the inactivation of Cryptosporidium. We are considering the installation of the UV light at either the new reservoir site or at the site below Hadden Reservoir. Timing of the reservoir construction and requirements by IHA will dictate where and how this will be implemented. ( Inset – Calgon UV reactor )
PRV No. 1 Upgrading Pressure reducing valve No. 1 is our largest valve station. It reduces the system pressure coming down the hill from 166 psi down to 82 psi. The flows through this station are very high and during peak demands are in the range of 12,000 USgpm to the Rutland flats pressure zone and another 4,000 USgpm to the Morrison Road pressure zone. The station was constructed in the early 1970s during the ARDA program. A complete rebuild of the process components within the station is proposed. Following renewal of PRV 1 will be PRVs 2 and 3.
Conduit Maintenance This work is planned for the late fall of 2005. Every 4 to 6 years, BMID staff conducts an inspection of the 3 kilometre water supply conduit that brings water from Hadden Reservoir to the Black Knight Mountain tunnel. The conduit is a concrete flume ditch that was encased with a concrete cover in 1970. The conduit is inspected for cracks, deterioration or spalling of concrete and leakage. Areas of cracking are repaired. The tunnel is also checked at the same time for any movement and the general condition of the interior surfaces.
Winterize Water Treatment Plant We are currently investigating methods in which to keep our Water Treatment Plant operational throughout the year. The flows are significantly lower in the winter months with daily demands of only 2,000,000 US gallons. A roof system and heat is required to cover the flocculators and a method to keep the fish screens and automated control gates from freezing is also being considered. The objective would be to reduce the impact of a premature snowmelt and compromised water quality as what was experienced in February, 2005.
Water Quality Improvement Scotty Creek Source There are approximately 30 residential connections that obtain their water from the Scotty Creek water system. The Scotty Creek subdivision is fed by groundwater, however, the domestic source for the homes below in the agricultural area is Scotty Creek. We are investigating methods in which to improve the quality of water supplied to these residences and reduce the risk of parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium (see inset photo).
Kirschner Mountain and Tower Ranch Pump Stations There are two major pump stations expected for the water district in the next two years. The pump station at Kirschner Mountain is to feed all of the higher areas of that development which will eventually consist of 1,000 residential units. Tower Ranch has been planned for years. The amount of development proposed includes a golf course and approximately 800 single and multi-family residential units. All of the water will be pumped from a new pump station located on Day Road.