The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) says water meters have helped detect leaks on about 18 per cent of the properties where they were installed in Pender Harbour.
A total of 1,384 meters were installed on the North and South Pender Harbour water systems in 2014 and 2015 as part of Phase 1 of the SCRD’s universal metering program.
The SCRD’s infrastructure services committee heard an update on the program at its Oct. 20 meeting. Staff said they started collecting data from the meters around the middle of this year, and their analysis found about 250 properties where leaks are likely happening.
Manager of utility services Dave Crosby told the committee that notices will be going out to those property owners soon, and past experience has shown that “the majority of our customers do react very quickly to repair their leaks once they’re notified.”
West Howe Sound director Ian Winn expressed surprise at the number of leaks that have turned up, calling it “astounding,” and wanted to know what volume of water was being lost.
“We haven’t done an estimate to date,” answered Crosby. “There’s a lot of data to go through, but I can tell you that the range of leakage is anywhere from one cubic metre to 30, and the average residence would use a cubic metre or less.”
Phase 2, meter installations in Areas B, D, E and F at a cost of about $5.8 million, started Sept. 20 and should be complete by this time next year.
Director Darnelda Siegers of Sechelt, which will be getting meters as part of Phase 3 in 2018, said she’s already been approached by residents who would prefer a “dumb meter” option because they’re concerned about possible health impacts from radio waves.
Halfmoon Bay has been the first to get meters during Phase 2, and Crosby said that so far only two customers have requested manual-read meters instead of smart meters. There is an extra charge involved.
Crosby told the committee that under the updated schedule the rate study for the Pender Harbour systems will start next spring, and a region-wide study will be done in 2019, with the aim of having a rate structure and billing system in place for 2020.
He also said directors can expect a report based on the rollout in Pender Harbour. “We’re hoping to do a report to the board of our findings once we start working with customers. Hopefully we can provide you with more detailed numbers about what savings in water we’ve found as we work through this.”
