Water bottlers to pay for H2O

 by The Canadian Press Castanet - Feb 5, 2015 / 10:28 pm
Companies will pay little more than a toonie to bottle as much groundwater as can fill a 25-metre swimming pool when new fees take effect in British Columbia next year. The levy is part of a rate schedule introduced by the Ministry of Environment, which until recently has not charged for the use of groundwater. Household wells through B.C. will not require a licence or pay a fee, but the government will charge others between two cents and $2.25 for every one-million litres of groundwater, or enough to fill the pool. The fees mean a household using municipal water may pay an extra loonie or toonie annually, and a farm growing hay in Kamloops may see their costs jump from $90 to $128 to irrigate a 16-hectare field. But the highest rate has been set for water-bottling companies that will pay $2.25 per million litres. The ministry says the fees are meant to cover the costs of the May 2014 Water Sustainability Act, which comes into force next year. "British Columbia is blessed with an abundant water supply that our government is committed to preserving for future generations," says Environment Minister Mary Polak in a media release. "The new fee structure will ensure fairness and affordability are cornerstones of our modernized water legislation."
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http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2013-2017/2015ENV0006-000146.htm
Highlights of the new rate structure include:
Homeowners with wells will be exempt from licensing and fees.
Households supplied by municipal water systems may pay $1 to $2 more per year for their water.
Surface and groundwater users will pay the same fees.
Other examples of the new rate structure include:
The water required to irrigate 40 acres of hay in Kamloops will increase annually from about $90 to $128.
An Abbotsford farmer with 100 cows will see an annual licence fee change from $25 to $50.
A Langley 10 acre nursery farm currently paying $44 annually will increase to approximately $62.
Water bottling will be charged at the industrial rate of $2.25 per 1000m3—the highest rental rate in the new schedule.