HUDSON'S HOPE, BC -- After a long series of issues with the water system, Hudson’s Hope will go back to drawing water from the Peace River.
The District has announced they have reached an agreement with BC Hydro that the “only logical solution” to Hudson’s Hope’s water troubles is to return to a river/reservoir system.
Contractors will begin work in December to get the water treatment plant running with river water by early January 2023. At some point during that transition, the district may be under a Boil Water Advisory, as per testing by Northern Health.
Once that stage is completed, the District will install ultraviolet reactors before spring arrives, to ensure the water running through the plant stays safe to drink. Afterwards, Hudson’s Hope will need a long-term plan to deal with the water’s sediment levels in the spring and summer months, as well as during the reservoir filling stage.
The district says plans are still in development for the new permanent system. An open house will be held in early January to present the plans to the people of Hudson’s Hope.
This change comes two years after the District built a new aquifer system. The District deemed that system to be the best option after BC Hydro began building a berm along the Hudson’s Hope shoreline in order to protect it from erosion caused by Site C.
However, council and residents agree that the aquifer system has not been performing well enough. They believe it caused high levels of bacteria build-up which put Hudson’s Hope under a Do Not Consume order for over two months, from August to October of this year.
