By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle
A proposed nursery has prompted the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) to successfully request for an additional connection to the irrigation canal.
Oliver town council offered their written support to the OIB to establish a connection that will demand a maximum of 181.7 m³/h (800 US Gallons per minute USGPM) to be drawn from the proposed connection point.
The OIB indicated their intent to build this connection to the canal in March 2025, prior to the canal being flooded with water for the season. The connection will then be inspected by Oliver town staff prior to backfilling.
The proposed connection will also include a flow meter that will measure the actual withdrawal from the canal. The OIB agreed to report the withdrawal data to the Town of Oliver on an annual basis.
The OIB and the Town have an agreement from May 28, 1997, which allocates 1774.3 m³/h (7,812 USGPM) to the OIB. Currently they only use 735.9 m³/h (3,240 USGPM).
As per this agreement, the OIB needs written approval from the town any time they want to establish a new connection to the canal to service irrigation needs within this limit.
The town indicated in their report that normally a General Water Connection Fee of $40,867.32 would be charged for the addition.
But the town has waived this connection fee since the total consumption is within the 1774.3 m³/h (7,812 USGPM).
The connection will service 17 acres, out of the total of 25.8 acres on the parcel of land north of the Oliver Readi-Mix property.
According to the Water Fees and Charges Bylaw, low pressure farm irrigation on OIB land service is $91.37 an acre per year, and for 17 acres this would total $1,553.29 for 2025.
