Directors Questions Water Costs

Written by Peter McIntyre  107.5 KISSFM  Thursday, 05 July 2012 17:05

  A Coldstream politician questions the need for two separate water systems in Greater Vernon.

Director Gyula Kiss told the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee, the Duteau Creek system costs taxpayers $1.7 million a year to operate, more than double what Kalamalka Lake does ($650,000), and most of the Duteau water goes into farming and doesn't need to be treated.

He tells Kiss FM, it would be far cheaper to have Kal Lake supply all the domestic customers, and use Duteau strictly for agriculture.

"That way we would only have to pay for one system. Even if we eventually have to put a filtration plant on Kal Lake, that would only be one treatment plant, and the other one doesn't need a treatment plant. None."

He says the costs of Duteau Creek work out to 57 cents per cubic metre, while Kal Lake is 8 cents per cubic metre and produces 75 to 80% of water for domestic, industrial and commercial use.

Kiss says the Duteau system supplies Areas B and C and Coldstream, and provides 14 million cubic metres a year, but only 2 to 3 million CM is used for domestic purposes.

"They would have their own system, the agricultural people, they only use it for five months of the year, not 12 months as we are doing now, and we would only have to pay for our domestic system."

The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee will forward Kiss's information to the consultants that are reviewing the area's Master Water Plan.

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