2015 Achievements
Infrastructure Services
Universal Water Metering
Universal metering was approved by Council as part of the Water Master
Plan in 2012 after an extensive public consultation process. In 2014 the
first phase of water meter installations occurred in the Oyama area,
focusing on irrigation connections. Council approved $1 million dollars for
this phase, funded from within the existing general water revenues.
In 2015 the second phase was primarily focused on installing water
meters on all residential services connected to the Lake Country water
system. It also included upgrading the existing meters to make them
compatible with the District’s new reading system. Council approved $1.5
million dollars for this phase, funded from within the existing general
water revenues and revenues generated from the Eldorado micro-hydro
generation facility.
“We all know how much gas it
takes to fill our car’s tank,
how much electricity we use
to heat our homes, and how
many minutes we spend
talking on our phones. Now
all of Lake Country’s water
customers will also know how
much water they are using,”
said Mayor James Baker.
The benefits of water metering are numerous:
Metering has been shown to reduce consumption by 15% to 30%;
Those that use less and conserve water will pay less, compared to those that don’t;
When a community uses less water, future water infrastructure upgrades can be reduced and deferred,
saving rate payers money in the long term; and
With better information, the District can more quickly identify and control leaks.
Meters are being supplied to existing single-family residential and agricultural
customers for free. Newly-metered customers will be charged based on their
consumption in 2017 after a ‘mock billing’ cycle. Water rate increases identified
through the Water Master Plan are to be fully implemented by 2016 – after which
rates are expected to remain stable. Initiatives, such as universal metering, detailed in
the Water Master Plan will ensure Lake Country’s water system can support our
growing community and is resilient to future climate and regulatory changes.
2015 Annual Report
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