Council adopts local area service and long-term borrowing bylaws for Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 14, 2020 

West Kelowna Council considered and adopted the local area service and long-term borrowing bylaws with 229 of 8,267 future Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant (RVWTP) property owners submitting petition-against forms prior to the October 2, 2020 deadline.

At the October 13 regular Council meeting, both the City of West Kelowna Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant Local Area Service Establishment Bylaw No. 280, 2020 and the City of West Kelowna Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 281, 2020 were adopted by Council. This means along with the service area established, future plant users will have the option to use long-term borrowing or pay a lump sum of $2,815 in 2022.

The increase to RVWTP users will be a total of $34, plus the $116 per year that property owners currently pay today. The total $150 in 2022 is required to design, build and finance the RVWTP and would remain the same during the 25-year borrowing period. In 2022, that $150 will be shifted from water bills onto a parcel tax, which allows some residents to defer their taxes. The City will contact future plant users with further information in 2022 before the plant goes into operation. This process does not affect the Powers Creek or Westbank First Nation service areas.

“Earlier this month Council had the opportunity to see first-hand the construction progress well underway that will lead to the delivery of clean, safe and reliable drinking water in 2022,” says Mayor Gord Milsom. “This final step was largely about how users prefer to pay for their service when the plant opens in 2022. Long-term borrowing is a proven cost-effective solution used on other large infrastructure projects and Council is pleased the community continues to endorse this model.”

Early works construction is nearly completed and the public is encouraged to view construction progress photos at westkelownacity.ca/rvwtp and sign up to receive project updates at westkelownacity.ca/subscribe.