Gabriola Health Centre's rainwater system among first in BC
The Gabriola Health Care Foundation (GHCF) is pleased to announce that the Gabriola Community Health Centre has become one of the first health-care facilities in British Columbia to build an approved system for harvesting and filtering rainwater to be used for additional safe drinking water.
The new system supplements the health centre’s existing well water and doubles its supply of stored potable water to 15,000 imperial gallons.
As climate change impacts well levels and other sources of drinking water, this forward-looking system will help ensure that Gabriola health-care providers continue to have an adequate supply of safe water to serve patients in the health centre.
The harvested rainwater and filtration project was initiated by the GHCF, which owns, operates and manages the Gabriola Community Health Centre.
Discussions with health officials and a search of rainwater systems elsewhere in B.C. suggests that the Gabriola Community Health Centre is one of the first health-care facilities in the province to have an approved system for harvesting and filtering rainwater so that it can be used for additional potable water.
“Gabriola islanders have a well-deserved reputation for coming together to address community needs with innovative solutions,” said Foundation president Jeff Malmgren. “Climate change is having an impact on people’s health, and the GHCF’s mandate is to understand the health-care and wellbeing needs of the community so that we can improve services for the entire Gabriola community.”
Board member Marc Hermann, who managed all aspects of the project on behalf of the GHCF, said the well that serves the island’s health centre had begun showing signs of decreasing water levels over the past few years.
“The Foundation takes a proactive approach to supporting health care on Gabriola Island,” he said. “So, it just made sense to look at what climate change is doing to the health centre’s potable-water supply and put a system in place that ensures we have an adequate supply of water well into the future.”
The innovative rainwater harvesting-and-filtration system had a budget of $205,000. Optimization of the original design during construction saved money, with the final cost coming in under budget.
Like the construction of the Gabriola Community Health Centre in 2012, the new rainwater system was paid for with community funds (through the Foundation) and local donations. The construction work was completed largely by Gabriola businesses
Special thanks to Rainwater Designers, Aquality Service, Oceanside Electric, and Velsen Homes, which managed the project site.
“On Gabriola, community projects like this rely on the support of generous individuals and the skill and experience of island businesses,” said Hermann. “It is important to acknowledge and thank them.”
Donors include: The Gabriola Lions Club, the Gabriola Lions Foundation, Don and Mary Butt, and others.
Contractors who worked on the project:
- Rainwater Designers Ltd. (Gabriola/Vancouver)
- Velsen Homes (Gabriola)
- Aquality Services (Gabriola)
- Oceanside Electric (Gabriola)
- Gulf Mechanical (Gabriola)
- Home Hardware (Gabriola)
- Bryans Mechanical (Nanaimo)
A special thank you to the following:
- Cadmar Andrews, water technician, Aquality Services
- Nicholas Read, principal owner/operator, Aquality Services
- Sydney Reynolds, scheduling/administration, Aquality Services
- Andy MacIntyre, technician, Bryans Mechanical
- Jeff Woodruff, owner/operator, Gulf Mechanical
- Zakory Upton, electrician/owner/operator , Oceanside Electric
- Ben Lindstrom, electrician, Oceanside Electric
- Grazyna (Gina) Chrobok, engineer, Rainwater Designers Ltd.
- Kaleb Velsen, project manager, Velsen Homes Ltd.
- Dion Peppersmith, lead foreman, Velsen Homes Ltd.
- Rylan Grinder, Tim Cappelle, Nikao Brouard, Jamie Lyons – construction support, Velsen Homes Ltd.
