Waste Reduction Week roared into Lake Country last week under the deafening rotor wash of a Bell helicopter. The Regional District of the Central Okanagan and Valhalla helicopters teamed up for an event to kick off seven days of waste reduction awareness.
A short drive up Beaver Lake Road is the site of a water intake for one of the District of Lake Country’s municipal water systems. In recent years a number of demolished and abandoned cars have been spotted in close proximity to the intake.
The situation was an ongoing concern for Patti Hansen, water quality technician for the District.
“Contaminants such as oil, gasoline and antifreeze can leak from these vehicles and get into our water supply,” said Hansen, adding that the chlorination process used to clean water is complicated by such contaminants.
The RDCO stepped in to correct the situation by hiring Valhalla to remove the five vehicles from the forested area area by helicopter.
When the helicopter had finished its work hauling company Paul Haul loaded the vehicles onto a flatbed truck and dropped them off at the scrap yard.
Rae Stewart, waste reduction facilitator for the RDCO, says that her organization is working to partner with outdoors groups whose members may be aware of popular illegal dumping sites. Reporting an illegal dumping site to the RDCO can be done through the its website www.rdco.com or by phoning 250-469-6250.