Kelowna gets OK to take over Glenmore-Ellison water district

And then there were three.

On Friday, the City of Kelowna, B.C., announced that its takeover of the Glenmore-Ellison Improvement District was officially underway after getting the green light from the province.

A decade ago, there were five public but separate watering districts in the greater Kelowna area. Now, there are three: Kelowna Water Utility, Rutland Waterworks and Black Mountain Irrigation.

1:53 Okanagan lake levels lower than usual

The slow merger process began in 2018, when Kelowna took over the South East Kelowna Irrigation District.

SEKID had been providing water since 1920 and provided water utilities to around 20 per cent of Kelowna’s population, though most of the district’s 9,000 acres was agricultural land.

The Glenmore-Ellison Improvement District serves around 23,000 people and has a serviceable area of around 9,100 acres.

The merger began in March when GEID board members unanimously signed a transition agreement with the city.

“The conversion is consistent with Kelowna’s Integrated Water Supply Plan and provincial policies that call for improvement districts to gradually shift to local governments,” the city said.

The takeover will be gradual and will start on Jan. 1, 2025, and take two years.

2:11 Officials encourage water conservation

“People living in the Okanagan will soon have better access to important services and strong infrastructure that they need and rely on,” said Anne Kang, B.C.’s municipal affairs minister.

“Our provincial government is pleased to support and to see the successful completion of this agreement between Glenmore-Ellison Improvement District and the City of Kelowna.

“This new partnership will ensure community vibrancy and resiliency, so residents in this area can benefit for many decades to come.”

Kelowna’s mayor, Tom Dyas, called the agreement important, saying integration improves efficiency as the city grows.

“Our goal is to create a model for transitions that is simple, collaborative, and can easily be replicated locally and throughout the province,” Dyas said.

“Our focus, throughout this process, has always been on the wellbeing of GEID’s services and employees, and to the residents we now service.”