To the Editor:

As every year we are getting into season of concern with the water supply.

This problem can be easily solved. There is almost unlimited supply of clean fresh water flowing into the ocean. Flows in Puntledge river range from well over 200 m3 per second down to the end of summer, about 13 m3 per second. If we would tap into the Puntledge just above Courtenay and divert only about 0.5 m3/sec (less than five per cent of low flow) into our water supply we would have no water shortage and restrictions ever. And the lake could stay full. Water in the Puntledge is already clean and drinkable (like Comox lake) and very little processing would be needed to make it up to standards. The costs of the processing plant somewhere west of Courtenay would not be prohibitive.

Average 3-4 person household uses about 350 to 500 litres of water /day. That is that 0.5 m3, taken out of the river in one second. There are 3,600 seconds in an hour and 24 hour day. 3,600 times 24 is 86,400. That means if we take out of the river less than five per cent of its low flow we can supply 86,400 households! There is not that many people (connected to our water system) in the valley! We could even vastly expand the water delivery to farms and surrounding areas and spread the costs. Politicians, do something!

Thank you,

George Novak, Comox