Pete's Lake Water Users Society

History

 In 1965, the Lasqueti Land Company, in order to provide water to its members, installed pipelines and built a higher dam around Pete's Lake to raise the level of the lake and to stop the lake from overflowing onto the road during the winter months. At that point in time, the water system was operated by the Land Company.

However, on June 1, 1989, a bill of sale was formally signed by the Lasqueti Land Company and the Pete’s Lake Water Users Society which transferred to the Society all the installed parts of the water system. 

Shortly after that, the Society was granted Water Licence #72113 which gave to the Society all the pipe, tanks and distribution system previously owned by the Lasqueti Land Company. The Water Licence allows the Society to remove up to 50,000 gallons of water per day from the Lake. Pete's Lake Water Users Society has been operating now for almost three decades.

Background

The Society presently has 63 members and operates with 7 volunteer Directors. For 2022 - 2023, the Directors are John Martin (President), Doane Grinnell (Vice-President), Barbara Smith (Secretary), Neil Matheson (Treasurer) and the following members-at-large: Patty Biro, Jonah Spiegelman, and Jayn Tyson.

The Society operates under Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) Operating Permit #1310938 which includes a number of conditions imposed on the Society. The Operating Permit Conditions are shown as Attachment #1 on the right side of this page.  The bylaws are shown as Attachment #2.

Emergency Response

The Society has an Emergency Response Plan in place that can be viewed by clicking on Attachment #3.  It also has an Emergency Phone Tree (Attachment #7) to be used in case of any incident or emergency.

Water Quality

Pete's Lake water is on a PERMANENT BOIL WATER ADVISORY.  The Society was approached by VIHA in the spring of 2010 and told that it would have to conform to VIHA policy 3.3, Drinking Water Treatment for Surface Water, by 2018.  The Society developed a Water Quality Implementation Plan that can also be viewed by clicking on Attachment #4. This document is pending revision (March 2019).

To see the results of the monthly water sample tests that the society submits, please visit 

https://www.healthspace.ca/Clients/VIHA/VIHA_Website.nsf/Water-Samples-F...

Other Attachments & Downloads

(Attachments #4A-K address Drinking Water Safety.)

Attachment #4A - drinking water safety in general. An introduction to waterborne diseases.

Attachment #4B - parasites 

Attachment #4C - bacteria

Attachment #4D - viruses 

Attachment #4E - our system 

Attachment #4F - making water safe to drink 

Attachment #4G - community water treatment

Attachment #4H - the rules

Attachment #4I - pretreatment

Attachment #4J - disinfection

Attachment #4K - where do we go from here

Attachment #5A describes our Policies and Guidelines for members.

Attachment 5B lists policies and procedures for new connections, reconnections, etc.

Attachment #6 gives some water conservation tips.

Attachment #7 is the minutes of the 2021 AGM.  

Attachments #8 and #9 are minutes from 2021 board meetings.

Attachment #10 and # 11 are minutes from April and July

Attachment #12 August AGM Minutes 2022

Attachment #13 Motions approved in 2023

Attachment #14 - Board Meeting May 2023

Attachment #15. AGM 2023

Attachment #16. New member hook-up

Attachment #17. New barriers

Attachment #18 Emergency Respone Plan 2023

Attachment #19. Emergency Phonetree pdf