Council wading though water problems

Water was on the agenda at a special West Kelowna council meeting, Tuesday.

With new water treatment infrastructure being built soon, including the new Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant next year, new water rates are required to pay for the capital and operating costs.

There are five water systems in West Kelowna; Westbank, Lakeview, Sunnyside, Pritchard and West Kelowna Estates Water Systems. Westbank is served by the Powers Creek Water Treatment Plant.

All other systems are treated with chlorine], but once the new plant and interconnections are built, Lakeview, Sunnyside, Pritchard and West Kelowna Estates Systems will be served by the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant.

Although the city received a $40 million grant to build the plant, the City will be required to contribute $17 million towards the construction of the plant and the interconnections.

The Water Utility Master Plan indicates that improvements are needed for fire protection in the Westbank System which will require $7 million in upgrades.

Council made the following decisions:

• Council agreed not to include a capital reserve charge once debt repayment for the Powers Creek and Rose Valley plants are complete.

• Council agreed to discontinue five non-conforming commercial and institutional rates inherited from the former Sunnyside Irrigation District that provided individualized rates for two wineries, two schools and one bible camp. The rates will now be included in the commercial and industrial rates applicable to all comparable properties.

• Establishment of a Water Maintenance Fee for all unimproved parcels to take into account capital and operating costs of the system

For agricultural water users, council made the following decisions:

• A two-year wait period before new rates impact agricultural users to allow time for property owners to investigate obtaining Farm Status if not already in place.

• Continue subsidies for agricultural water users provided their property has Farm Status through BC Assessment. By 2020, agricultural water users who do not have Farm Status will not be subsidized and will be charged at the residential rate.

• By 2020, all agricultural users will be charged a quarterly $12 flat fee per acre plus a tiered agricultural consumption charge.