We are nearing the end of 2024, a year that has proven to be challenging for all of us. You will have read the details in our fall newsletter, which was published on November 3. Since early September our operations have run smoothly and we’ve been able to keep water storage at our treatment plant at high levels.
However, as I write this we are working diligently to detect and eliminate leaks that appeared in our system about a week ago. On Tuesday morning I joined our operations team from 1 to 3 am for “leak detection”. We do this in the middle of the night because at that time it is much more likely that the only water leaving the treatment plant is due to the leak. We sequentially open and close valves throughout the district to narrow down the location of the leak. We have now determined that there is likely a small leak on Dalton Drive and a larger leak on Mariners Way west of Dinner Bay Road.
The next step is to visit the “curb stops”, which are valves that connect our main lines to individual properties. So if you are on-island and live in one of the areas mentioned above, expect to see our operations team working in your area. They may ask you to stop using water in your home for a few minutes while they test your curb stop.
In the meantime, as you spend time on the island during the holidays, please do your best to conserve water, especially while we continue to experience these leaks. We will update you as soon as we have more news on them.
I’d also like to use this message to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Corvynn Rosser. Corvynn is relatively new to Mayne Island and is hoping to complete her water operator training early in 2025. For now she is assisting Ian and Colton with our daily operations, primarily checking the wells each day to ensure they are operating properly.
Your Board of Trustees is implementing a new email distribution system which will allow us to more efficiently send out news and important information to our ratepayers. We use a tool called MailChimp – some of you may be familiar with MailChimp already.
On behalf of the VPID Board of Trustees and our operations team, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.
Michael Jones
Chair, VPID Board of Trustees