Letter to the Editor

Once again, I read that Cranbrook city council is discussing the installation of water meters in Cranbrook. This time they are using a report from a private consultant’s firm and disguising it as a necessary step toward water conservation in our city.

This is nothing less than the privatization of a public resource, and cash grab by a private firm. The issue of conserving water is a serious issue that won’t be solved by the installation of meters. There are many questions that do require answers:

Has the City of Cranbrook taken the lead in conserving water throughout the year and do its present regulations apply equally to all groups of citizens?

Do all council waterworks comply with the present stage 3 restrictions, including water parks, public parks, etc.? Do all golf courses (who use the equivalent water of a small community) comply with stage 3 restrictions, or are they taking measures to exchange their grass fairways for astro turf (which requires none)?

2. How would our present fee structure for water be affected by the installation of meters?

Cranbrook citizens already pay a significant fee each year for water, which the city presently adjusts access to by reducing the water pressure in town.

3. How many of the concerns brought forward by the private consultant are part of a natural, seasonal cycle that will adjust throughout the year?

The lower level of our reservoir at the end of August is to be expected, isn’t it? We’re already experiencing more rainfall as we head into the fall. Why was the stage 3 regulation for water put in place during the last two weeks of August when temperatures started to drop and rainfall started to appear?

4. What is council’s long term plan for accessing funding (both federal and provincial) to update our present city water system infrastructure?

Federal grants were available as much as 10-15 years ago for updating municipal infrastructure for water. This means expanding our connection to available water resources and updating older infrastructure that has not kept up with our growing population, not simply digging more wells into an already overtaxed water table.

5. How will the information from water meters be used against Cranbrook citizens, and what will the penalties be?

Big Brother systems, such as the installation and record keeping of water meters by a private firm, won’t be free of charge, thus ensuring that Cranbrook citizens will continue footing the bill through increased fees and charges.

There needs to be a public referendum before any such changes are implemented, and we all need to ask ourselves many questions before we decide on such a major change. We cannot be compared to a “provincial average” here in Cranbrook, and we need to ask ourselves if this is truly the answer to conserving water.

Wendy Turner,

Cranbrook

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