When the Liberals got elected they promised open government and added that they would ‘educate’ the electorate. The Castlegar City Council under Liberal incentive went one step further and stated, “Water will be treated the same as gas and oil.”
The Liberal caucus and the municipal government decisions are made behind closed doors. One thing we know after watching this council in action is that getting elected to public office does not make them any smarter. Many myths have been perpetrated by the council and their hired minions regarding the need for water meters.
The latest statement is partly true, however, it is twisted to confuse the public: The population of Castlegar has decreased, however, more water is being used – true. Many people have moved away to find jobs and family size has decreased as evident by school closures.
Regardless, there is an above average usage of water per capita, a condition which past analysis has proven does not overload the capacity of the water pipes. However, the number of dwellings has increased substantially with only one or two people per household where in the past there might have been four to six family members.
With new houses being built and older houses upgraded, all those lawns and gardens must be watered or we will end up with a desert. Another myth is that there are no moving parts in the meter and there is little silt in the water. There is a lot of silt in the water (for algae to form on) – which is evident by clogged filters and while emptying your hot water tank.
There is a small impeller in the meter which turns only one way measuring water flow, silt will eat the impeller bearings resulting in the flow of water not being measured and the flow decreasing. If your meter breaks or damage occurs from the installation do not expect help from the City as problems have arisen and the City will tell you it is not their problem.
The cost of water has not been determined as a budget must be met plus a little extra for the mayor to take much needed trips abroad. The less water used the more it will cost per unit to meet that budget; use more than the national average and a sliding scale will kick in ensuring trips for the whole council.
One statement is true, water will be treated the same as gas and oil: The Liberals will place a tax on the water you use, same as the excessive tax placed on gas and oil. This applies to all municipalities.Last year there were photo ops with Chernoff praising the purity of Castlegar water that was to be entered in competition – what happened? No word from council, yet a small town named Greenwood who has no water meters, has the cleanest, best tasting water in the world.
Richard Martini,
Gene Granstrom,
Castlegar, B.C.
