Okotoks’ town councillors can’t afford to wait to study a regional water pipeline from Calgary.
The Town has enough water licence capacity from the Sheep River to accommodate a population of about 27,000 people. With a population near 24,000 at the end of 2010, Okotoks has enough water to last it for about two years of growth.
A solution needs to be found and everything has to go on the table. However, council voted 4-3 against a proposal by Coun. Florence Christophers to study the financial, logistical and environmental implications of a water pipeline.
All Christophers was asking for was research. She stressed her motion was not about supporting a pipeline one way or the other.
A lot of reasons were given for not supporting the study: the Calgary Regional Partnership is studying a regional pipeline; it didn’t include looking at a subregional pipeline encompassing the Sheep- Highwood River basins; it departs from a decision made by the last council in 2009; and it would send residents the wrong message.
The Town is leading an awareness program, which includes bringing experts on water supply to the community as part of a speaker series, to educate residents. The end goal of the initiative is for town council to make a decision on how to resolve its water supply issue sometime in spring 2012.
This makes it precisely the right time to study the financial, logistical and environmental implications of a water pipeline.
Council should have this information in hand before making a final decision.
