After months of communicating with the city over the reoccurrence of brown – and sometimes black – tap water, one White Rock resident believes she’s run out of options.
Trina Scott began documenting the days when she was receiving discoloured tap water starting Oct. 24.
Since then, she’s noticed discolouration approximately two times per month, the worst case on March 15, when water came out of the tap darker than she had ever seen before.
“It was just getting worse and worse,” she said.
Scott said she has connected with neighbours on the 14700-block of Thrift Avenue and those she’s talked to – about eight – are experiencing the same problem with their water.
On Tuesday, Scott learned that neighbours next door were having the city flush their meter.
“So they were here (Wednesday) morning, so guess who went up there? I took the bucket, quickly got (water) out of the tap and brought it out to them and a picture,” Scott said Wednesday.
She said she requested that the city crew flush her meter, but they were unable to help at that time because she has a one-inch meter, while they were only prepared to work with a 5/8-inch meter.
Dr. Saad Jasim, utilities manager for the city, said Scott’s neighbour’s meter was flushed because the homeowners had indicated to city staff that they were away until the beginning of February, which warranted additional flushing.
He said there is “no special treatment,” and encouraged Scott to phone the city and “we will arrange for any service required.”
“Each case is different. If the meter need(s) to be flushed or replaced we do the service (and) that is why the staff go there and evaluate the situation,” Jasmin said in an email.
Scott said she’s called the city before to complain of her water woes and was never offered the flushing service.
“Every time I go down there I get the same old shenanigans. Nobody has helped me, nobody has even said they would come flush for me like the next door neighbours just got flushed,” Scott said.
The city employees conducting the flush did give Scott a phone number of a city water operator, she said.
“I’m interested to see if and when they come and do ours. Because it’s been indicated by (the water operator) that he’s going to do it,” Scott said.
Scott not only has an issue with the appearance of the water, but also the amount she’s charged for it.
“It’s a double whammy for me because I’m paying for crap water and I’m paying too much,” she said.
Scott said she was charged $190.68 every three months for water consumption last year.
The city’s 2016 water rates for one-inch meters include consumption up to 3,900 cubic feet at a quarterly rate of $190.68. Homeowners are charged extra if their water consumption exceeds the limit.
Scott claims to have used less than the allowable water consumption rate.
Most of her neighbours – hooked into a 5/8-inch meter – got charged a base of $94.80 every quarter last year.
She said the billing system should be changed to be more reflective of use verse cost.
“My beef is… If I got a meter, there should be some way that I’m paying for what I’m using,” she said, adding that her family buys bottled water.
Effective Jan. 1, single family homes on a 5/8-inch meter will be charged $113.80 every quarter and single family homes on a one-inch meter will be charged $228.80 every quarter. The allowable consumption limit will remain the same.
Officials from both the City of White Rock and Fraser Health say the water is safe to drink.
If residents are experiencing discoloured water, the city says to remove aerators (screens) from taps, then turn on the cold water on the tap closest to the property’s water meter/shut off and let it run for a minimum of 10 minutes; then reinstall the aerators. If the water is still coming out cloudy or discoloured, the city asks residents to call the city’s operations department at 604-541-2181.