Welcome to the Our Area F blog.
We acknowledge that Area "F" of the RDOS is within the traditional, unceded territory of the syilx people in the Okanagan Nation.

The pre-feasibility study to determine the viability of a jointly owned water treatment facility is in draft form and not available for distribution currently.   However, the RDOS released the following today: News Article Published: March 31, 2026 INFORMATION RELEASE As part of the Utility Acquisition Policy process, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) and the snpink’tn Indian Band (PIB) conducted a pre-feasibility study to determine the viability of a join

Below is a copy of the email I sent to citizens who I have connected with about the SMWS. You are receiving this email because you have either subscribed to the  OurAreaF.com  blog or we have connected about the Sage Mesa Water System referendum.  I won’t send another mass email like this again and apologize for the intrusion.     The sentiment that ratepayers did not create the SMWS problem and should not bear the cost is understandable, and it is a position the RDOS Board h

The province remains firm : public money will not flow to privately-owned utilities. This post compares long-term borrowing (available to local governments) vs raising rates to fund work (the province’s funding option). The province can’t borrow long-term. The Comptroller’s notice shows how this affects SMWS citizens. 2026 03 30 Update: Please note, my original post included the 'Availability of Service Charge (per year)' in the residential rate estimate. That is incorrect

The sentiment that ratepayers did not create the SMWS problem and should not bear the cost is understandable, and it is the position the RDOS Board has advocated for repeatedly at the provincial level . Our MLA, Amelia Boultbee, continues to advocate for this position. Still, the province’s response remains firm: public funding will not flow to a privately owned water utility. This provincial stance has been confirmed on the record in the Legislature (question period), in wri

2026 03 26 update: Here is the letter that has been mailed to all citizens within Greater West Bench. Today, I took a few minutes to address the Sage Mesa Water System referendum as this is the last board meeting before Advance voting takes place on April 1 st . general voting day is April 11th. Assent Voting Information . Here is my statement from the March 19, 2026 Board Meeting: I want every eligible Sage Mesa Water System resident walking into that vote with accurate inf

The McElhanney Assessment  has three phases of work. The first phase, estimated at $10.1 million, covers critical distribution and reservoir upgrades that are required regardless of water source or treatment. In the second phase of work, McElhanney estimated two potential water source options and suggested a third consideration Connect with City of Penticton, tie into the West Bench Water System, estimated at $6.4 million. The 242 Sage Mesa Water System citizens build their

A 2000 RDOS Board letter is being framed as either a smoking gun or a blueprint. Twenty-six years of history tells a different story. A letter from the RDOS Board to the province, dated June 2000, continues to make the rounds in the current Sage Mesa Water System discussion. It is being presented as either proof that today's Board is ignoring its obligations, or as a ready-made template for how the Board should respond now. That framing deserves scrutiny: 26 years of history

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) is aware of an administrative error within in the Sage Mesa Water System Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3076, 2024. While the error is unfortunate, the error does not affect the validity of the bylaw. Bylaw 3075, 2024 , the Sage Mesa Water System Service Establishment Bylaw establishes an RDOS water service for Sage Mesa.  The Service Establishment Bylaw works in conjunction with Bylaw No. 3076, 2024 , the Sage Mesa Water S

Hi all, RDOS/PIB Pre-feasibility Study: The RDOS/PIB water treatment plant pre-feasibility study has been received by the RDOS and will undergo an internal review by staff before presentation to the Board. Once the Board formally accepts the study for information, the Board will direct staff to post the assessment on RDOS sites. I'll also share it through the ‘Our Area F’ blog.    As a reminder, the pre-feasibility study will assess whether an RDOS jointly owned water treatm