Average Residential Water User Bill across the valley in 2011

Greater Vernon Advisory Committee Special Meeting

Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 8:00 am

Agenda (1.22MB PDF)

At the above link is a presentation of the water rates for the average customer who utilizes 350m3 of water when compared to the other 22 water purveyors surveyed. The table at left ranks them from highest to lowest and shows that Greater Vernon ranks 17th highest out of 23. (Kelowna's rates has been recalculated to correct their listing as they were calculated on a quarterly basis but they are actually on a monthly basis.)

A good number of these water Utilities are on  a flat rate basis and consequently the comparison must be viewed with skepticism as a Greater Vernon Customer who has a higher consumption rate (say 450m3) could well be better off at a fixed rate customer of one of those water utilities shown  at an higher annual  rate for 2011.
 
All those utilities that show as higher than Vernon are on  a flat rate basis are :

• Kamloops  $577.00
• Dist of Summerland  $694.32 
• RDOS Naramata  $834.00
• RDOS Olalia $691.80
• Oliver   $633.60
• S.E.K.I.D. Hall road $637.35

 If you were a 450 m3 and had to pay for those 100 m3 at the lowest possible incremental rate of .78/m3 your bill would increase from $572.54 to (572.54 + 78.00) = 650.54. At that level only in 3 other water utilities rather than 6 would you pay less.

To be better off in Summerland and RDOS Olalia you would achieve that if you consumed  510 m3 approx. RDOS Naramata would require a consumption rate of 450+235 = 685 m3.