Hello Texada!  Here are some notes from our last meeting, held Jan 14.

THANK YOU to all who have paid their annual invoices promptly!

WINTER WATER USE has increased considerably. Please check for leaks that can develop after freeze/thaw cycles, especially in outside fixtures. We are aware that some residents keep water running to avoid freezing of water lines and encourage you to insulate your water lines. Please contact us if you need assistance with this. More information is available at vananda-id.ca/winter/

LEAK REPAIR: a substantial leak was repaired on Sturt Bay Rd. Several suspected leaks are under investigation; please contact us if you have any information that could help.

ANNUAL INVOICES for Water Tolls and Parcel Taxes were mailed in early January. If you have not received yours, please contact us. Invoices are due March 10 and payment plans are available. Payment options and plan information are available on VAID’s webpage vananda-id.ca/payments/

COURT OF REVISION will be held Saturday February 10^th from 10 am till noon. The annual Court of Revision is for trustees to listen and resolve issues regarding water tolls and parcel tax assessments.  Please contact us first so we can gather the required information and set up an appointment. An appointment is not required, however having one will speed up the process.

MEETING DATES CORRECTION: The dates given in the Annual Newsletter were incorrect, including the AGM date. Apologies for any confusion caused.

The Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Saturday April 20 at the Legion.

Regular Board Meetings in 2024 are scheduled for Feb 14, Mar 13, Apr 10, May 15, June 12, July 10, Aug 14, Sept 11, Oct 16, Nov 13, Dec 11.

FIRE DEPARTMENT: A fire was attended in January which started from a compost chemical reaction. Composting can produce a large amount of heat, even in the cold weather, so compost piles and bins should be located away from any structures or flammable material.

FIREFIGHTERS NEEDED! No experience necessary. Training, gear, and on-duty insurance coverage provided.  Phone or text Acting Chief Mark Robert for more information 604-414-9662 or email firechief@vananda.ca

CONTACT INFO Email: contact@vananda-id.ca – Phone: 604-486-7035 – Website: vananda-id.ca

NEXT MEETING: Residents are encouraged to join us for regular Board Meetings. Next meeting is Wednesday Feb 14 at 1.30 at the Van Anda Firehall (upstairs).

Hello Texada!  Here are a few notes from our last regular board meeting, held Nov 15^th.

WATER: Testing for residential leaks is well underway and several leaks have been detected. Testing is performed by measuring the water pressure where the water enters the house, while no water is being used. If the pressure drops, there’s a leak. If a leak is detected, the homeowner is provided with information and given a date that the repair must be completed by.

We are also installing meters on residences where excessive water use has been reported or is suspected. We will monitor the water use at first, and if the meter readings show that water use is higher that acceptable, the owner will be charged at metered rates and invoiced for the meter installation costs. You might be surprised at how high these costs can become! The rates can be found in the Water Tolls Bylaw.

One of the filter systems at the water treatment plant has been problematic recently. Many operator hours and extra cartridge filter use has been used to keep up with water production while the issue is being solved.

While water is being drawn by the pump on the raft, which is working nicely, work is being done on the intake well. A crack is present in the well casing where water can seep in from around the well. We are now considering how to move forward with this issue.

Remember to insulate your pipes rather than leaving your water running to prevent freezing.

FIRE PROTECTION: We received a donation from the Halloween Ball. THANK YOU to Lizetta Hanley and everyone who took part.

Regular fire practice is on Monday evenings. Please contact acting Fire Chief Mark Robert at 604-414-9662 for more info.

CONTACT: Email contact@vananda-id.ca Phone: 604-486-7035 Website: vananda-id.ca

NEXT MEETING: Residents are encouraged to join us for regular Board Meetings. Next meeting is Wednesday Dec 13^th 1.30 Van Anda Firehall (upstairs).

Hello Texada!  Here are a few notes from our last regular board meeting, held Oct 18^th.

WATER: Water use is back to pre-summer levels, so Water Restrictions have been lifted.

September’s water treatment was usually between 67 to 79 thousand US gallons per day. This is about half of our production capacity. (More water data can be seen here.)

With winter approaching, this is a good time to ensure water lines are protected from freezing with insulation or heating tape. Running hoses or taps to prevent freezing is very wasteful of our water and increases our costs. More information available at vananda-id.ca/winter.

One new application for a residential service has been received for a property on Coleborn. We expect an engineer’s report shortly on how the Wall St properties will be affected by planned new connections to the properties added to the ID last year.

A reminder, VAID’s water operators and office staff are to be treated with respect.

FIRE PROTECTION: We are investigating increasing the District Boundaries to be able provide Fire Protection to more properties. Areas being considered for addition are Crescent Bay, Spectacle Lake, Kirk Lake, and Raven Bay. Several property owners have already submitted the form to be included in the District.  If you are interested in joining this group, please contact us.

Van Anda firefighters have completed more training with the Gillies Bay Fire Department. Regular fire practice is on Monday evenings. Please contact acting Fire Chief Mark Robert at 604-414-9662 for more info.

CONTACT: Email contact@vananda-id.ca Phone: 604-486-7035 Website: vananda-id.ca

NEXT MEETING: Residents are encouraged to join us for regular Board Meetings. Next meeting is Wednesday NOV 15^th 1.30 Van Anda Firehall (upstairs).

Hello Texada!  Here are a few notes from our last regular board meeting, held Sep 13^th.

WATER: Due to serious concern about the possibility of low lake levels affecting the water intake pump, we installed the identical backup pump on a float 150 ft from shore. This is working perfectly, and we are about to begin the next part of the project – deepening the wet well and cleaning the intake line.

There is plentiful water in the lake, but the pump well is not deep enough.

Water restrictions have been in place because of the limited water processing capabilities of the Water Treatment Plant. August’s average daily volume of water treated was about 93,000 US gallon/day (352 cubic meters) with most days between 80,000 & 100,000 USG. More water data can be seen at vananda-id.ca/water-data/

No new water connection applications have been received this year. When considering new applications, the trustees consider the impacts of providing the service requested, such as available resources, the effect on existing services, and feasibility of maintaining the proposed service – from VAID’s Development Policy.

FIRE PROTECTION: Van Anda and Gillies Bay firefighters continue working well together at the incidents where both Fire Departments respond. Monday night fire practices are back after the summer break. Please contact acting Fire Chief Mark Robert at 604-414-9662 for more info.

NEWSLETTER: Earlier this year, community members requested more frequent newsletters than those provided twice a year (Annual Newsletter and AGM Report). Since then, we have been publishing informational articles monthly in the Express Lines, and now these are also available on the VAID website. Visit vananda-id.ca/newsletters/ to see these.

CONTACT: Email contact@vananda-id.ca Phone: 604-486-7035 Website: vananda-id.ca

NEXT MEETING: OCT 18^th 1.30 Van Anda Firehall (upstairs).

Hello Texada!  We welcome new employees Joseph Scott (Administrative Assistant) and Marianne Segers (Water Operator). Both bring a range of skills to the team. Here are a few notes from our last regular board meeting, held Aug 16^th.

WATER: The increased summer water use has been a challenge in keeping the Treatment Plant operating smoothly. Variations in the plant functioning combined with large fluctuations in water use can cause imbalance in the chlorine levels. There may have been times when you noticed a stronger chlorine smell while we were sorting this out.

Water safety standards state minimum and maximum levels of chlorine be present at the furthest point from treatment. VAID is consistent in keeping within these levels. Please note that running water for extended periods may increase the amount of chlorine in your water, as chlorine degrades quickly over time.

Regarding the variations in water demand, we regularly see daily differences of 15,000 US gallons or more. Some days have been 25 or even 30,000 more than the previous day, often occurring at night. Usage drops noticeably for a few days after rain. We ask that you check your watering systems for leaks, especially in-ground systems where the leak may not be obvious. As an example, a quarter inch hole in Van Anda can leak 10,000 gallons overnight! Another common water loss is from hoses left on – a half inch hose left running for 6 hours can waste 17,500 gallons.

Thanks for the info received regarding water use in our community and please continue to contact us about your concerns.

FIRE PROTECTION: Monday night fire practices will be starting again on Sep 11, after the summer break. Please contact acting Fire Chief Mark Robert at 604-414-9662 for more info.

More INFORMATION on VAID is available at www.vananda-id.ca.

NEXT MEETING: SEP 13^th

Hello Texada!  Here are a few notes from our last Van Anda Improvement District (VAID) regular board meeting held Jul 12^th.

WATER: Stage 3 Water Restrictions were implemented at the beginning of July. This year’s summer usage is more than expected and the increase since spring is more than in previous years. This may signify new leaks or water use changes. Investigations are continuing. Please help by letting us know of any water use concerns – email contact@vananada-id.ca or leave a message at 604-486-7035.

The Jul 7 article in the Powell River Peak stated that there is plenty of water for the new subdivision and the mining application. This information is from before the increased summer usage and is no longer applicable. Applications for new connections and other water provision will continue to be considered carefully.

Van Anda’s treated water is not allowed to be supplied to outside the district. This very clear in the Water Regulation Bylaw, which is available online at www.vananda-id.ca/bylaws. Measures are being taken to ensure that water cannot be taken from VAID. Bulk water may be available by approval – contact the office.

Please remember to use water responsibility – by fixing leaks, watering between 8 pm and 8 am (no lawn watering), and conserving water when possible.      See the Water Restriction Chart for more details.

FIRE PROTECTION: One of the reasons for Stage 3 Water Restrictions is to keep the water storage tank full. High water usage can cause the water level in the tank to be too low to provide enough water for fire fighting needs.

INFORMATION concerning VAID is available at our website www.vananda-id.ca.

NEXT MEETING: Residents are encouraged to attend VAID meetings. Next meeting is AUG 16^th at 1:30pm, upstairs at the fire hall in Van Anda.