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Friday, March 7, 2014 Capital NewsC
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Lake Country commits $4 million toward water metering program Water from A3
Much remains up in the air when it comes to how water metering will change the way farmers and residential customers utilize water in
one who is using water like there is no tomorrow will pay more if they are being really abusive.”
Lake Country, but the district is moving forward with plans to get in line with communities around the Okanagan, many of which have water me-
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tering programs already in place. District council has committed $1 million toward the program this year as staff will install meters on up to 500 agricultural connections in Lake Country before spending $3 million to install them in residential homes in Lake Country in 2015. To ease customers into the program a mock billing program will also take place before a new rate structure is in place, scheduled for 2017. “We’re not looking at wholesale changes in rates,” said Bucholz. “We’re not looking to the meters to secure additional funding. What we are trying to achieve is a
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SOUTH EAST Kelowna Irrigation District workers prepare to lift a motor out of one of two operational wells that service a small portion of homes in East Kelowna. 25 per cent reduction in water usage. “We are looking to conserve water, especially at peak times. That’s done to secure a water supply in times of a drought and to make sure water is available to downstream users.” ••• So as communities around the Okanagan work towards a better way to manage and provide water to its customers, they also are looking to higher levels of government to offset the costs of improving water infrastructure. But communities, and water utilities, need to make improvements on their own, before the
provincial or federal governments will step forward with money. In Lake Country, Bucholz says the installation of water meters will make it easier to go after funding from higher levels of government. “The province has really promoted water conservation so in terms of getting grants, if you do not have water conservation principles in play, the grant monies will not come,” he said. In Kelowna, one of the main reasons the five water utilities pushed forward with an Integrated Water Supply Plan was to go after government grants to offset costs. According to Pike at
SEKID, the plan to twin the South Kelowna system could move ahead in a year or two with government help, or it could take up to eight years to proceed without it. “We need to show the province that we have a good strategic plan moving forward,” said Pike. “Not only to meet the health standards but to have a good, robust system city-wide. What we are really waiting to hear is what grants will become available. “The good news is Victoria is on board (in approving the Integrated Water Supply Plan), the bad news is they don’t have any money.” kparnell@kelownacapnews.com
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