It’s hard enough maintaining a garden in Oak Bay against the deer hordes without adding the so-called “sewer” fee.
I just received my Oak Bay utility bill for water/sewer and as usual see its disproportionate abuse of home owners who keep a garden.
Our annual household water use for washing/cleaning/cooking is one-third of our metered usage (determined by the winter billing cycle of January to April).
Two-thirds of our annual water is used to maintain our garden and small lawn area.
This water never sees a sewer and is eventually added to the rain cycle, the ultimate recycling system. Yet Oak Bay and CRD charge a sewage fee, twice, on 60 per cent on this water.
This makes no sense. Sewage fee should be charged on sewage water, determined either by the winter billing period at 100 per cent, or a factor such as the number of household bathrooms as determined by the land records.
It makes no sense to charge sewer fees based on irrigation water.
Call a tax a tax and skip the disingenuous cash grab known as a “sewer fee.”
Nick Wemyss
Oak Bay