Langley Township is about to begin signing up residents for voluntary water meters, suggesting that moderate water users will see a savings on their bills.
Online and physical notices about the water metering program have begun going out in recent days.
The new program will start in early 2025, with residents able to sign up as soon as this fall.
The Township's pitch is that getting a water meter means only paying for the water you use, detecting leaks early, and conserving water in general.
Right now, Township residents receiving municipal water pay a flat rate for their monthly bill.
The draw of the system is the idea that residents who use little or even a medium amount of water could save money with a meter installed. High water users would pay more under a metered billing scheme.
There is no cost to sign up and have a meter installed, and more information can be found at tol.ca/watermeter.
A 2019 provincial audit of the Township's water use policies made several recommendations, including improving data collection and monitoring, and considering sustainable withdrawal targets from groundwater, to avoid overuse.
Township municipal water is a "blended" system, with much of it coming from Metro Vancouver reservoirs, and some coming from local wells maintained by the Township.
In recent years, concerns about the quality of wells in the Brookswood, Murrayville, and Fort Langley areas have led to some municipal wells being closed. This increased the percentage of Metro Vancouver water in the system, pushing up costs for the Township.
A significant number of homes in Brookswood and rural areas of the Township still draw their water from wells, and are not affected by any metering projects.
Back in 2008, Langley Township seriously considered the idea of metering well water. This was due to serious concerns about declining water levels in areas like the Hopington Aquifer in central Langley.
The idea was ultimately scrapped, after a 3,000 name petition was submitted against the project.
Matthew Claxton
