Posted on
4/2/2015
by
Local politicians debated the pros and cons of providing
water to properties outside Greater Vernon's boundaries at today's
Greater Vernon Advisory Committee meeting.
In the end, an 80,000 tree apple orchard in Spallumcheen was allowed to buy two hectares of water allocation.
The farm will be supplied with potable water from the Duteau Creek Plant.
Director Jim Garlick says they need to have an overall plan for
extending the boundaries by talking with neighboring communities.
"And that is water that is not treated or treated for industrial or
for agriculture, and what we should be doing is involving them and
bringing them into the plan so they can plan for it, and we can as
well," Garlick tells Kiss FM.
Garlick says he's not against expanding the system, but says every
time they provide special exemptions, it complicates the master water
plan "a little more."
Director Gyula Kiss joined Garlick and Bob Spiers in opposition to providing the orchard with water.
Kiss is concerned about residents having to subsidize more of the
costs to supply a farm with treated water, which in this case, is not in
their boundary.
"The more we sell (to farmers), the more it has to be subsidized by
domestic customers. That's why I can't support it," says Kiss.
GVAC also approved extra water allocation for the PRT tree seed nursery on Highway 97 in Coldstream.
"The applicant has indicated that they require additional water
volume to facilitate projected growth of the business," says Dale
McTaggert, general manager of engineering for the Regional District of
North Okanagan.
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My concern with the proposal was that both request were for treated water sold at irrigation rates. Should we discontinue the practice of irrigating crops with expensive treated water I would have no problem supporting such requests.
Over six years GVAC toyed with the idea of reviewing water rates and make it more fare to domestic users. Now, without considering this important issue we sell more of this expensive water at highly subsidized rates.
The issue of the Master Water Plan is also in limbo yet we make decisions as if the Master Water Plan issue is totally resolved. I believe the ratepayers still have a word in what plan they are willing to support with borrowed money.
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2 comments:
It isn't rocket science to realize that you shouldn't put expensive treated water ( supported by domestic users) on agriculture. Maybe there should be a required basic intelligence means test befpre you are allowed to run politically; it might actually bring some logic to the table!
Only in the North Wackanagan:
A modest sample:
-irrigate with Eau de Shafted Taxpayer
- violate the spirit and sanctity of Kal Park enjoyed by so many for a road to a seasonal enclave of clever and crafty machinator/investors
-strip mall city scales and annihilate heritage
Sheesh....
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