Wednesday, September 30, 2015

City of Kelowna clarifies it's position on water issues

 For the Record: Water Improvement Districts
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For the Record: Water Improvement Districts

Sept. 29, 2015


For the Record: Water Improvement Districts

Sept. 29, 2015
Some clarification is required for a news release issued Sept. 25 by the four local improvement districts of the Kelowna Joint Water Committee.
The news release states: “Much of what has been said in the media about [the Kelowna Integrated Water Supply Plan] lately revolves around the amalgamation or dissolution of the improvement districts in order to gain grant funding.”
What the City of Kelowna has said is it’s time to work towards a robust and integrated water supply and distribution system to ensure water supply redundancies are in place should one source experience supply or quality issues.
Integration, an objective stated in the B.C. government’s improvement districts policy, would occur over a period of time. (read more)

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Saturday, September 26, 2015

Friday, September 25, 2015

Water fears in focus

by Jon Manchester - Sep 21, 2015
Castanet

With a drought still gripping parts of B.C. and Washington, and concerns over the possibility of a costly mussel invasion, agencies on both sides of the border are coming together to talk.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board, Town of Osoyoos and the International Joint Commission are hosting the Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum, Oct. 7-9 at the Sonora Centre.

“The drought, invasive species, making sure there is enough water for fish, are key issues we need to co-ordinate on with Washington state,” says water board executive director Anna Warwick Sears. “These three issues alone represent millions of dollars for our economies."

While the meeting is in Osoyoos, it relates to the entire Okanagan watershed, from Armstrong to the Columbia River, since the waters are all connected.

“We rarely have a chance to talk with our counterparts in the U.S., and this is an opportunity to meet with senior decision makers, and also hear from First Nations and grassroots – residents, farmers and business people – from both sides of the border," says Sears.

“It’s about building relationships and having a shared understanding of problems so when a crisis hits you can work through them effectively. With climate change and population growth, the management of water is going to be critical."

Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff notes the lake that defines her community straddles the Canada-U.S. border. “We must look after our lake. It is the lifeblood of our community and we have to be vigilant in protecting it.”

The forum, which is open to the public, will discuss topics including drought, climate change, effects of forest fires on water, invasive mussels, milfoil and toxic blue-green algae blooms, which have been an issue in Osoyoos Lake in the past.

“The drought this year has had everyone sit up and take notice about not using water indiscriminately,” says McKortoff.  “We all have to start looking at water differently.”

The board is also sponsoring a one-day “Columbia River Treaty: Past, Present and Future” workshop Oct. 7 at the Sonora Centre. With the treaty up for renegotiation, and the Okanagan being a sub-basin of the Columbia, the workshop will include a review of the treaty’s history and purpose and discussion of future implications.

One more reason to consider Kalamalka and Okanagan Lakes for domestic water supply for security reasons! 

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Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Morning Star Poll results

Are you confident a stakeholders committee will review Greater Vernon's master water plan independently?

Cast Your Vote

You have already participated in this poll. Thank you!

Current Results

YesNoNo
questionresult
Yes4
No27


"David Sewell, the CAO of RDNO, says their goal now is to create a new master water plan for Greater Vernon.

"It's not an attempt to silence critics, it's to engage and walk through in a reasoned manner what we've done, what we haven't done and why the master plan is where it is, and if we have to make amendments we'll consider those things too."
"Sewell says creating a new master water plan will take input and conciliation on everyone's part.

"Everybody's got an interest in water.  Everybody has valuable input and we've got to make sure we capture that relative to their use of water, the importance of water and also trying to get the people who haven't had an avenue to directly engage into the master water plan up until now." (KISS FM News, 9/18/2015).

I guess that invitation is not extended to everyone, only to those whose views are slanted in a specific direction.

Terms of Reference for the SAC is accessible here. Note that all references relate to the 2012 MWP.

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Sunday, September 20, 2015

Selected Morning Star Newsclips - In case you missed them.

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 Stakeholders Advisory Committee Finalized - KISS FM News

Posted on 9/18/2015 by Ron Manz

The Greater Vernon Water Stakeholder Advisory Committee has been chosen.

The Regional District of the North Okanagan finalized the committee Wednesday night.

It is comprised of 18 people from the local community representing agriculture, commercial, industrial and 7 residential users  along with GVAC chair Juliette Cunningham and vice-chair Jim Garlick.

David Sewell, the CAO of RDNO, says their goal now is to create a new master water plan for Greater Vernon.

"It's not an attempt to silence critics, it's to engage and walk through in a reasoned manner what we've done, what we haven't done and why the master plan is where it is, and if we have to make amendments we'll consider those things too." ????

Sewell says creating a new master water plan will take input and conciliation on everyone's part.

"Everybody's got an interest in water.  Everybody has valuable input and we've got to make sure we capture that relative to their use of water, the importance of water and also trying to get the people who haven't had an avenue to directly engage into the master water plan up until now." ???


Sewell adds the committee will work alongside GVAC chair Juliette Cunningham and vice-chair Jim Garlick to develop a new master water plan.

"At the end of the day the political decisions will still be made at the Regional District but this will allow input as to where people feel additional work needs to be done, options, or there feels to be additional technical information that needs to be provided.  That's the intent of this committee."

The first meeting of this new committee is set for October 1st.


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Saturday, September 19, 2015

Selected Morning Star Newsclips - In case you missed them.


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Friday, September 18, 2015

Getting soaked for water!

by

If North Okanagan residents feel like they're getting soaked on their water bill, it's because they pay the highest water rates of the Okanagan's three major cities.

Vernon residents pay for their liquid gold per cubic metre, and the cost is set by the Regional District of North Okanagan on a tiered-rate system.

The first 10 cubic metres cost 51 cents each, but it only goes up from there. For 10-20 cubic metres, the Tier 2 cost is $1.07. For 20-40, the charge is $1.22. For 40-80 cubic metres, residents pay $1.53 and, in the top tier, for 80 cubic metres or more, the price jumps to $2.19.

In Kelowna, residents pay $0.412 for the first 60 cubic metres of water; $0.554 for the next 100; $0.84 for the next 90 and $1.618 per cubic metre for the balance used beyond that.

Kelowna also has a bi-monthly flat rate of $24.10.

Penticton communications officer Simone Blais said the southern city charges a fixed rate of $19.77 per month plus a variable consumption charge of $1.67 per 2.83 cubic metres.

The rates also vary from industrial to residential use.

“There are 10 different fixture rates based on your meter size,” she said.

According to Jennifer Miles, water sustainability co-ordinator with the RDNO, there is also an “infrastructure base fee" in the North Okanagan, which is $101.80 per quarter.

"We have to have a base fee that covers the majority of expenses over the year," she said.

However, Miles said it's difficult to compare Vernon to other centres because “different water systems have different treatment systems. We have different sources in Vernon.”

Vernon gets its water from Kalamalka Lake and the Duteau Creek watershed, while several Okanagan communities draw water from Okanagan Lake.

Miles said Kelowna and Penticton have different treatment systems and may have accessed grants over the years to help offset the expenses of building and maintaining water treatment facilities.

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We do not have to cover the majority of expenses by base fees! That flies in the face of our principle of user pay system. The 2015 budget proposes a 55/45% split in favour of base fees. However, a low water consumer (10 cubic meters or less) can pay as much as 95/5% in favour of base fees. That is the bigger problem here (aside from the selected MWP).
 
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Sunday, September 13, 2015

Morning Star Clip - "Water Plan Prediction" and a comment


It is interesting to see that more and more people see the light. Why spend millions of $'s on building inferior reservoirs when we have superior reservoirs handed to us by nature? There is a huge cost to building and maintaining these artificial reservoirs, more cost to treating the water and less security in annual supply. We must be sensible about these issues!

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Friday, September 11, 2015

Two view-points and the reality.


View-point 1

 
View-point 2 

Reality September 1, 2015 


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Monday, September 7, 2015

Selected Morning Star Newsclips - In case you missed them.

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Friday, September 4, 2015

Coldstream Ratepayers News! All Coldstream residents are ratepayers!

The opinions expressed by "Coldstreamer" are strictly his own and do not represent the opinions of Coldstream Council!

Because I value your thoughtful opinions, I encourage you to add a comment to this discussion. Don't be offended if I edit your comments for clarity or to keep out questionable matters, however, and I may even delete off-topic comments.

Gyula Kiss
coldstreamer@shaw.ca;

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We must protect our rights and freedom! (Photo courtesy of D. Gibson) Click on eagle to watch EAGLECAMS

About Me

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I have been a resident of Coldstream since 1976. I have had 15 years of experience on Council, 3 years as Mayor. As a current Councillor I am working to achieve fair water and sewer rates and to ensure that taxpayers get fair treatment. The current direction regarding water supply is unsustainable and I am doing all I can to get the most cost effective water supply possible.