Although Rossland residents have only five months left to install water meters in all homes and businesses, to date, less than half have complied.
“Only 570 of 1,700 meters have been picked up,” said corporate administrator Victor Kumar.
Last fall, Rossland committed to the Columbia Basin Trust Watersmart Charter that the city would reduce its water consumption by 20 per cent by 2015.
To that end, it established a bylaw mandating every home and business must have a water meter by December 31, 2011.
The city’s website states that meters will allow the city to “manage and reduce the need for new infrastructure, maintain healthy streams by leaving more water in our creeks, qualify for grants, and identify the quantity and location of water leaks.”
Rossland’s water supply has been described by experts as “precarious,” said Sara Golling, chair of the water stewardship task force.
“We are in the mountains and have water from three small creeks,” she said. “If we take all the water as we’ve done, there is nothing for users below, besides the natural stream life.”
Golling’s group is encouraging conservation so the water system will be more sustainable.
The city is providing meters for free but property owners must pay for the installation. Installation costs vary; Kumar figured, “anywhere from $200 to $300 up to $2,000 depending on lengths and location of waterlines.”
“In Grand Forks, the city did all the installations and didn’t charge anyone, as part of supplying the service.”
However, Grand Forks meters were installed for commercial and institutional use only.
A list of companies doing installations is available at City Hall.
What happens if a property owner does not comply?
Kumar said council would likely follow a standard procedure of sending the homeowner a letter giving them 30 days to install the meter or appear before council to explain themselves.
“At that time, council would pass a resolution to install the meter and add the cost to the property taxes.”
As for the cost of water, the rate won’t change much, if a family is conservative, Kumar explained.
“Rosslanders currently pay a fixed rate of $201 per year for water. The metered rate will be 25 cents per cubic metre on the first 30 cubic meters. Then the cost goes to 40 cents (for up to 100 cubic meters) and 60 cents (for over 101 cubic meters).”
Studies show the average two-person home uses about 22 cubic meters per month. A single occupant uses about seven cubic meters, whereas families of three, four or five, averaged under 23 cubic meters.
But ratepayers will also be charged a flat fee of $113 which is to make sure Rossland collects enough to maintain its nearly $700,000 system.
“If everyone used only 10 cubic meters, over time, the revenue would be about $396,000 and we’d have to make up $300,000 from somewhere else,” Kumar said.
And Rosslanders have been conserving. The city’s usage has declined from 918,848 cubic meters in 2007, to 860,148, in 2010. Problems occur during the summer when area creeks dry up, and in the winter, when the city has an influx of visitors. Also, being one hundred years old, Rossland’s infrastructure is requires continuous upgrades.
“Currently Washington and Columbia lines, water and sewer, are being done.”
Kumar said it will take some time before the dust settles and rates stabilize.“The true picture will come out in 2013 when all the meters are in.”