VERNON – Some golf courses in the North Okanagan are raising concerns that the growing cost of the water they use for irrigation may be handicapping their bottom lines.
The industry brought the issue of skyrocketing charges to Vernon city council this week.
The course uses reclaimed waste water for irrigation and says the amount charged has increased dramatically.
One golf course paid just under $3-thousand in 2005 and next year its bill is expected to be more than $200-thousand.
“They started tying it to the potable rate,” says Yacyshen. “With potable rates escalating the way they are you can imagine what is happened to the costs.”
A group of golf courses brought their concerns to city council this week.
“For us not to be supportive of how they can be successful, it hurts all of us in the end,” says councillor Mary Jo O’Keefe, who is also running for mayor. “I’m hoping that council works at trying to provide a more equitable formula.”
Councillor Juliette Cunningham believes council is willing to look at what can be done for the golf courses.
“We always have to look at the equity issue in terms of one sector of a business and how you treat them because there are also other businesses that also use tremendous amounts of water,” says Cunningham. “It is having to look at the whole thing in the context of all of the users that we provide the service to.”
At The Rise the resort’s general manager says they want to continue to be a good civic partner and continue using the reclaimed water but costs have to be reasonable.
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