Utilities

ALTERNATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS (AAP)

Loan Authorization Bylaw (WWTP) 1158, 2021

At its regular meeting on October 19, 2021, Lake Country approved borrowing $8.84 million after conducting a successful Alternative Approval Process for Loan Authorization Bylaw (WWTP) 1158, 2021, which authorizes the borrowing to undertake the Wastewater Treatment Plant Phase 4 Upgrade.

The Alternative Approval Process began on August 24, 2021 and ended on October 12, 2021, with only 26 elector response forms received; 1,267 forms would have been required to prevent the borrowing bylaw.

THE PROJECT

The Wastewater Treatment Plant (“WWTP”) Phase 4 Upgrade includes improvements to increase the District’s capacity to treat wastewater and reduce risk by providing greater redundancy. As the community continues to grow and sewage sent to the treatment plant continues to increase, improvements to the plant’s redundancy and capacity are required. Not completing these improvements puts the plant and District facilities at risk of failure due to a lack of redundancy and capacity.

As part of the Phase 4 Upgrade, a tertiary filtration system will be installed to address concerns of suspended solids within the treated effluent.
Tertiary filtration treatment ensures high quality effluent enters the ground and reliable operation.
Failure of any single component should not prevent treatment from meeting quality criteria; therefore, key components have been identified for upgrade to ensure the environment and public health are not at risk.
The WWTP is rapidly approaching capacity, meaning the District will be unable to further service the community. To ensure residents have a safe and environmentally responsible means of liquid waste disposal, upgrades are necessary.

THE FUNDING

In January 2020 staff submitted a grant application for $9,817,000 to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program which was not successful. The only option to move forward with the Phase 4 Upgrade is to consider funding through long-term borrowing.

The borrowing will be repaid using existing and future Sewer Development Cost Charges (DCC’s). That means no increase to user fees, parcel taxes or property taxes because of the borrowing. If there are not enough future DCC’s to repay the debt, Council may consider alternatives such as borrowing from reserves or taxes.

The cost of servicing the debt using the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA) interest rate of 3.09% with a 20-year amortization is estimated at $628,012 ($354,856 to principal, $273,156 to interest) in 2022. The total cost of borrowing over 20 years is estimated at $5,463,120.

For information on the Wastewater Treatment Plant and the District’s Liquid Waste Management Plan visit https://letstalk.lakecountry.bc.ca/lwmp.

Water

Billing

Please Note: The deadline for paying utility bills for the fourth and final quarter of 2020 was extended by Council to Friday, April 30 to help alleviate financial pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments of utility bills for first quarter of 2021 are due May 31, 2021.

View your water bill online

Note: account numbers for utilities are assigned to a specific address. If you move you have to update your payee account number…. Or you will pay a water bill on your previous property.

Water bill payments are due the last working day of the month, two months following the billing period. For example:

January-March invoices due end of May
April-June invoices due end of August
July-September invoices due end of November
October-December invoices due end of February

If you have not received your quarterly utility invoice, contact the District office.

To update your mailing address for water utility invoices and property taxes please modify your contact details directly through BC Assessment Authority using this link to the form on their website. Please complete the form for your Lake Country property specifying: Area 19, Jurisdiction 331 and use the 8 digit Roll Number (no dots, dashes or spaces; and if the roll number only has 7 digits then a zero should be added before the 7 digits).

If you input your address on this site (https://www.bcassessment.ca/) then the Area, Jurisdiction and Roll number will be displayed for you to enter on the form. For additional assistance call BCAA’s toll-free number at 1-866-825-8322.

The District of Lake Country receives a weekly update from BC Assessment to ensure records are consistent.

Payment Options

All unpaid balances past the due date will incur interest of 1.5% per month compounded annually. It is each customer's responsibility to make sure the bill is paid by the deadline to avoid penalties. Outstanding charges at December 31 are rolled into taxes in arrears and accrue interest.

Payment options include:

cheque, cash, debit card at Municipal Hall, in person or use drop box located at the north entrance of Municipal Hall
credit cards are now accepted for payment of utility invoices using the third party secure Option Pay system
payments sent by mail must be RECEIVED by the due date
at your financial institution using 'Lake Country Utilities' as a payee and your 7-digit account number found on your water bill
online/telephone banking, allow 2-3 business days processing time to ensure payment is made on time (make sure to include your utility account number when paying online)

2021 Rates

The water rates are included in the Water Regulation and Rates Bylaw (Schedule B)

Customer Category	Base Rate (Annual)	Base Rate (Quarterly)	Consumption
Single Family Residential	$468 per dwelling	$117	$0.77 per cubic meter
Registered Accessory or Secondary Suite	N/A	N/A	$0.77 per cubic meter
Multifamily	$374.40 per dwelling	$93.60	$0.77 per cubic meter
Commercial (Also includes Industrial & Institutional)	Dependent on meter size		$0.77 per cubic meter
Agricultural Water	$120 per acre	$30 per acre	N/A
Seasonal Irrigation	$150 per connection	$37.50 per connection	$0.77 per cubic meter
Non-connected Fee	$100 per connection	$25 per connection	N/A
Unmetered Fee	$3,200 per connection	$800 per connection	N/A

Note that where there are two (2) or more distinct premises on one parcel, the annual base rate will be multiplied by the number of distinct premises; except where a distinct premise is a Registered Secondary Suite or Registered Accessory Suite.

Other User Fees and Taxes

All other water related user fees, including non-connected user fees for Local Service Areas such as Coral Beach and Lake Pine, see Water Regulation and Rates Bylaw (Schedule A)

Properties located in the Ponderosa Road Local Service Area may be subject to annual parcel taxes as outlined in the Ponderosa Road Local Service Parcel Tax Bylaw 694, 2008

Seasonal Irrigation

All of Lake Country seasonal irrigation connections will be turned OFF October 12-15, 2021.

We are unable to give the exact day and time the Water services team will be at each property, but if the seasonal irrigation connection is still turned on by October 25th, please call the Utilities Department at 250-766-6677.

Please use this fillable form to request an early irrigation turn on/off. Email it to engineering@lakecountry.bc.ca.

REQUEST irrigation turn on/off

Private Water Utilities

If your water service is provided by a private utility company you will receive a bill from them directly. If you have any questions regarding your service or invoice please contact the appropriate utility.

Alto Utilities
10397 Lodge Road
Lake Country, BC V4V 1V6
Emergency Phone: 778-805-1501

East Side Utility
c/o Harvey Lister Inc.
502 Ellis Street
Penticton, BC V2A 4M3
Emergency Contact: Drew Allingham
Pager: 250-717-9724
Cell: 250-689-2285

Kal Pine Utility
#48 - 17610 Rawsthorne Rd
Lake Country, BC V4V 2K2
Emergency Contact: Don Wakeham
Phone: 250-548-4064

Gatzke Road Utility
16844 Gatzke Road
Lake Country, BC V4V 2J1
Emergency Contact: Denis Murphy
Phone: 250-548-3438

Water Restrictions - Normal Conditions

Normal Conditions

Wise water use practices:

Manual watering in mornings or evenings and not during the mid-day heat or when it is windy.
Watering with a watering can or by hand whenever possible.
Keep grass longer and leave clippings on the lawn.
Remember to turn off your automated irrigation system during rainy periods. Don't set it and forget it!
Don't water gravel or pavement

Stage 1

90-80% of Average Conditions. Residential and commercial irrigation is permitted on alternating days:

Even numbered addresses - even calendar days only
Odd numbered addresses - odd calendar days only
Underground systems with timers - alternate days only

Stage 2

80-45% of Average Conditions. Residential and commercial irrigation is permitted once or twice a week as determined by the Director.

Stage 3

<45% of Average Conditions. Residential and commercial irrigation is prohibited.

Water Source Map

Please check the interactive water source map to confirm which source your property is on. Click on your property to view the dialogue box which will tell you your water source and link to any Advisory of Notice information.

CLICK HERE and Zoom in to find your address and water source information on this GIS Map.

Water Advisory Status/More information

Boil Water Notice LIFTED - Oyama source July 28, 2021

What is a Water Quality Advisory? (WATCH this 40 second video to find out more)

Learn more: Waterborne Infections in British Columbia | HealthLinkBC File 49a

Please check the interactive water source map to confirm which source your property is on: www.lakecountry.bc.ca/MyWatermap by clicking on your property and viewing the pop up dialogue box which will tell you the water source and link to any Advisory or Notice information.

Note for water customers on the east bench of Oyama: For most of the year you receive water from the Kalamalka Lake source, but during the high use agricultural irrigation period (starting the last week of April to September) your water source reverts back to the Oyama Lake source which remains on a Water Quality Advisory since 2013. Please note: the GIS map above will always show your water source as Oyama Lake.

VIEW the interactive Drinking Water for All map for all water utilities (including the small private utilities that serve only a few households) regulated through Interior Health

Water Reports, Links and More Info

Building Climate Resilience in the Okanagan - A Homeowner's Resource Guide
Interior Health Beach Water Quality
Interior Health Drinking Water Protection
Make Water Work Take the Challenge and Make Your Pledge to conserve water in the Okanagan
Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB): Don't Move a Mussel Program
Water Quality Status
Water Master Plan
Water Operations Annual Reports for Lake Country
Water Quality Reports
Water Regulation and Rates Bylaw 984, 2016 (as amended February 2019)
Watershed and Sustainability Plan
Water Source Map
What is swimmer's itch?
What is turbidity?

Watermains - commissioning a new watermain for development

Please read the New Watermain Commissioning Policy 189, 2021 and complete the appropriate forms (included with policy document) before commissioning a new watermain for a development.

Winterizing your backflow preventor for agricultural properties

CLICK HERE to watch a brief video to learn how to winterize your backflow preventor on an agricultural property.

Sewer

Bylaws and Parcel Tax

View the draft OPERATIONAL CERTIFICATE 14651 from the Ministry of Environment to the District of Lake Country for the wastewater treatment facility located in Lake Country, BC.

Sewer utilities are included annually on property tax notices. All parcels of land that are capable of being connected to the sewer system or which are deemed to abut the sewer system are charged a parcel tax regardless of whether they are connected. Properties that are connected to sewer are charged a user fee and a parcel tax. Please refer to Sewer Service Parcel Tax Bylaw 98-224 for all the details.

Parcel Tax: $275 per year.
Annual Residential User Fee: $250 per distinct premises on the property, multiplied by the number of distinct premises.
Non-residential User Fee: Based on a $250 minimum charge. Refer to Schedule A of Sanitary Sewer Regulation and Rate Bylaw 98-214 for more information.
Environmental Levy: The environmental levy is a tax to provide for the eventual expansion of the sewer collection system. All properties within the municipality are capable of being drained into the District of Lake Country sewer system, and all properties have the opportunity to use the system therefore each parcel is assessed annually with the parcel tax. The environmental parcel tax is a flat rate charge per parcel at $75 per parcel. Please refer to Sewer System Parcel Tax Bylaw 98-182 for more information.

Source Control

Fats, Oils, Greases

Fats, oils, and grease are collectively referred to as “FOG” in the world of wastewater treatment. FOG can come from a variety of sources, cooking meat, dairy products, or salad dressings. Although delicious, FOG can be problematic for sanitary sewer collection systems. FOG becomes liquid and when heated, making it easy to wash down the sink; however, as FOG cools down, it hardens, congeals, and aggregates together. This collection and eventual build-up of FOG leads to blockages in the sewer collection system.

Check out the Reginal District of Central Okanagan's video on fats, oils and greases here.

Solids & Grit

Solids and grit are another problem that have to be dealt with in the wastewater collection system. Solids can come from a variety of sources, including food scraps, packaging, or any other substances that should be composted, recycled, or thrown into the trash. Grit refers to small solids that can easily go down the sink with liquids, examples include coffee grinds, eggshells, or seeds. Solids and grit cause many problems for wastewater collection systems as they build up in the collection system, especially where FOG is present, and contribute to sewer main blockages.

Wet wipes should never enter the sewer system – not even if they are labelled “flushable”. These disposable wipes should be placed in the garbage after use.

Garburators (food grinders) are not permitted to be connected to the Districts’ sanitary sewer system. Garburators introduce excess solids to the sewer system, which can lead to costly backups. Food scraps should be collected using sink strainers and disposed of in the compost or trash.

Grease Traps/Interceptors

What are they?

Grease traps are small, engineered containers with baffle walls inside to help slow the rate effluent discharged to the sewer system. The slowed effluent allows solids and grit to settle to the bottom of the grease trap, while fats, oils, and grease float to the top. The effluent leaving the grease trap is relatively clear.

Grease interceptors serve the same purpose as grease traps; however, they are much larger and are designed to handle larger effluent flows. While grease traps are typically found under sinks or built into the floor of businesses, grease interceptors are constructed outside, underground, and are accessible by manholes.

Who needs them?

Any commercial business or home occupation that is likely to discharge FOG, grit, flammable substances, or other components which may interfere with or damage the sanitary sewer system is required to install, monitor, and maintain an interceptor. Examples include:

Commercial kitchens (including bakeries and coffee shops).
Dry-cleaning establishments.
Service stations, vehicle repair garages, and car wash bays.
Concrete and aggregate washing plants.
Laboratories.

Where should they be installed?

Grease traps are most effective when installed immediately downstream of the point of entry to the sewer system (i.e., under a sink). When grease traps/interceptors are installed too far away from where wastewater is discharged, they have the potential to cool, harden, and create blockages in your internal plumbing.

Grease traps typically should not be installed downstream of a dishwasher, as FOG becomes liquid when heated, which can flow through traps into the sewer system until cooled. FOG and food scraps should be scraped into the compost/garbage or wiped with paper towel or used citrus fruits before being placed in the dishwasher.

How should they be installed?

Grease traps must be sized and installed by a licensed plumber. A sampling “T” is required to be installed downstream of the grease trap/interceptor (refer to Appendix A). Use of a cleanout in the upstream process piping is recommended to make cleaning and maintenance easier.

It is important that effluent entering grease traps/interceptors not be combined with general wastewater (i.e., water from toilets). Enzymes or surfactants that break down FOG are only temporarily effective and should not be used as they will congeal further down in the sewer system.

Maintenance of Grease Traps/Interceptors

Image courtesy of the Capital Regional District

Grease traps are to be cleaned regularly to ensure the combined depth of FOG floating on the top and grit/solids at the bottom of the grease trap should never exceed 25% the wetted height. Additionally, effluent leaving traps should not exceed the required chemical or biological parameters as outlined by the Sanitary Sewer Regulation and Rate Bylaw 98-214 (section 3.2.1, Prohibitions).

The frequency of grease trap cleanings can vary from once a day to monthly, depending on the nature of the restaurant. Grease interceptors are much larger; therefore, cleanings can vary from weekly quarterly or bi-annually.

Grease should be disposed of by the contractor doing the cleaning. If the cleaning is being done in-house it can be placed in the garbage. Maintenance logs are required to record all cleanings, repairs, or any calibration performed on grease traps. Maintenance logs are to be kept onsite for a minimum of three years and the District can request to review the log at any time. A sample maintenance log can be found here.