Here is a brief, history of some of the dispute over water rights and governance as put together by Coldstream Councillor Doug Dirk.

Greater Vernon Water Summary

 

In 2000 the Greater Vernon Area had 3 Water Utilities supplying both residential and agricultural customers.  The City of Vernon supplying residential Vernon, District of Coldstream supplying residential Coldstream and the North Okanagan Water Utility (NOWA) that supplied residential and agricultural customers in the Electoral Areas as well as areas of Vernon and Coldstream.

For water quality reasons Vernon had worked to convert NOWA customers within their boundaries to their utility and eventually found themselves oversubscribed on their Water Licenses.  To protect their tax base NOWA put a moratorium on converting any of their residential customers to other utilities.

Being over capacity on their Water Licenses and needing additional water to supply resort communities/golf course developments and general growth, the City of Vernon was eager to enter a Regional Water Utility.  As well, it was recognized that all utilities would need significant tax base to improve the quality of water they delivered to meet evolving public health standards.

Discussions ensued to create a new Regional Water Utility.

Vernon contributed it’s larger tax base and received additional water for growth  through a amalgamated Water Licence, as well as a slightly larger tax base to help with it’s $1.36M debt.  Coldstream contributed Water License, $.853M in reserves and received a larger tax base to help protect agricultural use and fund future water improvements.  NOWA contributed it’s significant Water Licenses and received a larger tax base to help protect agricultural use and fund future water improvements.

An engineering study was undertaken (Master Water Plan $96M) that would accomplish supply and quality concerns for the next 40 years.  With a 5 year time frame before all areas would see improvements and receive the same quality of water.  The MWP addressed water demand, water quality and the distribution issues of separating domestic and agricultural water.

In 2003 the new utility called Greater Vernon Water Utility (GVWU) was formed on the principle of a single Water Utility with the same water quality and same water pricing for all..  Residential and agricultural rates were set so that agricultural rates would be competitive with other Okanagan Valley areas.

Work began with the enclosing of  McMechan Resevoir that supplies Vernon, construction of  Mission Hill Treatment Plant supplying Vernon and part of Coldstream, major separation in the Bella Vista area of Vernon and an expanded and upgraded Kal Lake Pump House to supply the Mission Hill Treatment Plant (~$15M total).

In 2006 after the majority of the work needed in Vernon was accomplished, Vernon requested a service review of Greater Vernon Water stating dissatisfaction with operational issues and a lack of control of water issue decisions within their boundaries. Vernon stated that they were not happy with the utility and wanted to withdraw from the water distribution function.  This essentially would absolve them of being part of the future work of the Water Plan specifically separating residential and agricultural use.  Vernon’s original concerns over quality and supply of water for growth had substantially been met, while minimal change had been realized in the other areas.

Subsequently in 2006 planning and engineering was launched for the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant which will guarantee supply for future water demands and serve the areas formerly supplied by NOWA.  The work began in Feb. 2009 and will complete in 2010.

The District of Coldstream and the Electoral Areas are willing to work out Vernon’s operational and control issues without the need to devolve the utility, however discussion has continued with no resolution and the situation is pending for arbitration.

Everyone seems to agree that the only model that makes sense for the North Okanagan is a Regional Water Model.  Sadly, hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are being wasted on political bickering and legal battling in the arbitration process with the threat that everything will digress into separate utilities.