There have been some slight adjustments to Greater Vernon water rates.
While adopting the 2014 fee structure, Greater Vernon Advisory Committee directors voted Thursday to not increase the consumption rate for customers using between zero and 10 cubic metres. The tier for 10 to 20 cubic metres has also been reduced.
“This will help the lower volume user a little bit,” said director Bob Spiers.
“It’s not much, about $4 an account.”
The fee schedule had originally called for the consumption fee for zero to $10 cubic metres to be 60 cents per cubic metre per quarter. It will now remain at 50 cents.
For the tier covering from 10 to 20 cubic metres, it will be $1.05 instead of $1.10.
Spiers was supported by director Gyula Kiss.
“Someone not using a drop of water but paying $400 is getting nothing for it,” he said.
Opposition came from director Mike Macnabb.
“We need to send a clear message that water costs money. We have infrastructure that costs money,” he said.
Macnabb also pointed out that the fee structure is based on usage.
“It could be a wet summer or any other thing could happen (to impact usage),” he said.
“We always want to be cautious and have more in the kitty than less.”
The annual base fee for agricultural customers will jump seven per cent or $65.54.
The annual base fee for domestic users will go up 24 per cent or $99.82 while for non-domestic/mixed use (commercial, industrial, institutional), base fee increase is 24 per cent.
