Higher water bills will be a reality in Greater Vernon.
On Wednesday, the North Okanagan Regional District board unanimously adopted new utility rates for 2011.
“I believe they meet the needs of the utility in terms of generating revenue,” said director Buffy Baumbrough.
The residential base fee will go from $50.17 to $66.20 annually. That will see the average residential bill go from $480.58 to $579.70, or 20 per cent, a year.
On top of that, there are four tiers of levies based on consumption.
There will continue to be no additional charge for low users.
“We are giving 10 cubic metres away free per customer,” said director Mike Macnabb.
Baumbrough believes that waving the tier one fee offsets the overall increase for water.
“We’re ensuring there isn’t undue hardship on customers,” she said.
The second tier (10 to 40 cubic metres) will go from 92 to 78 cents per cubic metre, while the third tier (40 to 80 cubic metres) will remain at 92 cents per cubic metre.
The final tier (more than 80 cubic metres) will climb from 92 cents to $1.24 per cubic metre. That’s equivalent to 21,133 U.S. gallons of water being used.
The base fee for commercial businesses is also climbing 20 per cent to $66.20 but the consumption fee remains unchanged at 92 cents per cubic metre.
Agriculture rates will increase by five per cent in 2011 while fees for vacant lots will go from $31.77 to $66.20 per quarter.
While the rates are set for 2011, Macnabb expects Greater Vernon utility customers will face increases in future years because a $20 million filtration system must be added to the Duteau Creek treatment plant.
“We will have to revisit the rates,” he said.
