Updates

Backup generator-2 is the duty generator until August 27. Generator-1 failed to start at 8am Wednesday August 20, so generator-2 will be the duty generator until trouble-shooting is completed this coming Wednesday.

SSID AGM was held Sunday August 3 2025. At the 44th Annual General Meeting, Chair Trustee Bryan Miles summarized the past year. There was a review of Upper Tank replacement options. The Operator's report provided an update on the status of the water system infrastucture. The trustees presented the considerations for Groundwater at Risk of Pathogens (GARP). The administrator delivered the financial report. There was an election for the trustee position held by Trustee Lee Davis. Lee had offered to run for another 3-year term, and there being no other nominees, was acclaimed for the term finishing 2028. 

Minutes of the 2025 AGM will be posted in September, and are considered draft until amended or adopted at the 2025 AGM.

Frequent pumping and extra generator starts were observed over a few days in July, and necessitated a July 25 reading of all residential meters, a week ahead of the usual month-end readings. The meter readings identified the source of overuse, which was then stopped that day.

Upper Tank thickness test completed. A crew of 3 from Acuren was at the tank farm on June 6 to take steel thickness measurements of the upper tank. 

Read SSID's request that setback reports be kept out of the OCP. The Trustees have reviewed the recommended setbacks outlined in 2 engineering reports submitted to the qathet Regional District, and have advised the qRD that inclusion of the setbacks in the Savary Island Official Community Plan will be detrimental to SSID's future operations. While OCPs are in themselves non-regulatory, any related zoning bylaw can use specific parts of the OCP as law. The qRD responded with a letter that does not address our concerns. The OCP is scheduled to be complete by winter 2025. Participate to have your opinion heard. 

Upper Tank Feasibility Study delivered January 28. SSID received the final feasibility study from engineering team MSR Solutions, with options for replacement of the upper tank. The study is a followup to the upper tank exterior thickness test in April 2024 that showed areas of steel degradation affecting the service life of the tank. The study provided a basis for further research.

Lithium Battery and Solar Experiment. SSID replaced 2 lead-acid batteries with a EG4 lithium battery suitable for powering the Thomson Controller. We also tested 4 solar panels to see if they could provide enough energy in the darkest days of winter to keep the new lithium battery charged. The solar inputs in February were sufficient, but January was too dark to provide enough solar inputs with only the 4 panels. It was determined that the 2 darkest months (December and January) would require a higher capacity charger utilizing the generator power during pump cycles.

Water Use and Distribution Regulation Bylaw 136. This important regulation was adopted by SSID on December 13 2023, and registered by the provincial government on January 4 2024. It replaces Bylaw 102, and contains clauses regarding Commercial Use.

The 2017 Fire Underwriter's Survey established Savary Shores Improvement District as "limited protection" rather than the previous rating "unprotected." The Dwelling Protection Grade was 4, and the Public Fire Protection Classification was 8 (out of 10, Grade-1 is highest). The FUS Survey was updated in 2020. SSID has not been re-examined or re-graded by FUS since 2017.