In a 4-3 vote, Town of Ponoka councillors decided to have residents’ water supply disconnected if they don’t comply with the installation of wireless water meters.
The decision was made during council’s regular meeting Tuesday, June 9 after receiving a request from administration to have staff manually read water meters or to invoke the town’s water rates bylaw, which would disconnect their water unless residents comply.
These were the only two options provided in the request for decision.
Administration told council there are nine hard refusals and 21 soft refusals of the wireless water meter installation.
To give residents an opportunity to have their say, council moved the public forum portion of the agenda forward. Speaking against the request was a resident who provided just her first name of Lois.
She stated the town’s methods are draconian and suggests this decision is the town’s way or no way.
Mayor Rick Bonnett suggested the intent was to save people money in the event of a leak.
“If you have a leak, we can detect that leak and you’re not paying for that extra water,” said Bonnett.
Haley Brochu was another resident present who said she was using a new wireless water meter in her home. She requested that council consider the possibility that they cannot know for sure if there are, or are not, long-term side effects using the wireless system, as some people have claimed.
She said she is holding out hope the town will overturn their previous decision, made in Oct. 22, to give residents no options. “I would like to ask (if) there’s any possible way to look at this,” said Brochu.
Coun. Marc Yaworski stated he is disappointed that the town had to go down this road but the purpose of the meters is to help residents.
“We put them in to save taxpayers money,” said Yaworski.
He added that the town loses approximately $300,000 a year in unaccounted for water and the wireless water meters are intended to help find those leaks.
Coun. Carla Prediger said that a compromise should be better than forcing people to have a wireless water meter.
“Whether it’s scientifically proven or not . . . the point is to have a choice,” said Prediger, referring to claims that the wireless system causes health issues.
Coun. Loanna Gulka asked if residents did have the option to stay with manual meters, if there would be cost recovery. CAO Rachel Kunz said if council went with that option a request for a decision would be brought to the table.
The other concern for council was safety. Gulka asked what would happen to staff if residents refused to let the installers in.
“We would have to get legal advice before we proceed,” replied Kunz.
Bonnett and councillors Yaworski, Tim Falkiner and Sandra Lyon voted to disconnect the water supply unless residents comply. Councillors Gulka, Prediger and Teri Underhill voted against it.
Council already gave direction to administration that there would be no options for water meter holdouts during Oct. 22 regular meeting last year. Despite that direction, administration provided council with this second request. At that meeting, Prediger and Gulka had also voted in favour of giving residents options.