The municipality has revised its water meter fee structure to a base rate for the service and a fee for every cubic metre of water used.
The structure change, to take effect when metered water billing takes effect in 2012, replaces a system where a surcharge was to be levied for excess consumption.
The water service will have a base rate of $18 a month. Every cubic metre will cost users 68 cents.
This is similar to the billing system used in Oliver.
Municipal treasurer Ken Ostraat said council and municipal staff have been considering several billing options.
“We’re looking at a variety of different models,” he said. “If we see something that is totally out of line, we will review it.”
Earlier, the municipality had considered a model which would charge residential users a flat rate of $30 a month for the first 20 cubic metres of water. The next 20 cubic metres would be charged at 47 cents a cubic metre and consumption above that would cost 65 cents a cubic meter.
Residential users in Summerland average 682 litres a day, or just over 20 cubic metres a month.
Mayor Janice Perrino said the flat rate and surcharge system did not give users an incentive to conserve their water use. She added that the base fee for the water service is needed to pay the costs of the water treatment plant, which has expenses no matter how much or how little water Summerlanders consume.
Coun. Jim Kyluik said the new billing model will be fair for all users.
Ostraat said rates may be adjusted, since the municipality has limited data on water consumption.
“We are testing the waters on our billing system,” Perrino added.
Coun. Ken Roberge said the public is invited to share their thoughts on the water metering and rate structure. “We want to engage the larger community in this discussion,” he said.