Our water is purchased from the Town of Ladysmith in cubic meters (M3). Our household supply meters will continue to be measured in imperial gallons as we cannot justify the expense of converting to metric (our meters predate the metric conversion in Canada). Invoices to constituents of the Diamond will be in cubic meter increments (220 gallons) although the invoice will show the meter readings in gallons and the corresponding Metric volume.
The Diamond Improvement District’s contract with the Town of Ladysmith for supply of water expires in June 2025. The following rates are for 2024.
The rates are based on a “per use” format in order to meet the District’s annual debt costs in the fairest way possible with water use being billed using a tiered rate system.
Water consumption rates are currently set as follows:
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- Base Rate: $160.00/per use
as of July 1, 2024
- Tier 1 – 0 to 37.5 cubic meters: $1.20/cubic meter (tier one*)
- Tier 2 – 37.5 to 75 cubic meters : $1.30/cubic meter
- Tier 3 – 75 to 112.5 cubic meters: $1.50/cubic meter
- Tier 4 – over 112.5 cubic meters: $1.75/cubic meter
*Note: 25 cubic meters is 5,500 gallons, at “tier one” the cost is 0.3636/100 gallons
All water meters are and remain the property of the Diamond Improvement District.
Parcel Tax
An annual parcel tax is billed to all parcels of land lying within the Diamond Improvement District as provided by the BC Assessment Tax Roll. The parcel tax for 2024 is $250.00 for a single family for all other classifications please refer to Bylaw 219 for full details.
Water Meter Connection
Property owners without a water meter can request a connection. A PDF application form can be downloaded from this site. The Service fees are as follows.
Service Connection Charge
Every Applicant shall pay to the District a service connection charge for each property to be connected to the water system, or for each dwelling to be connected to the water system where there is more than one dwelling on a property, in accordance with the following scale:
- For a ¾ inch connection: $3,500.00
Water Supply Access Charge
- Every owner shall pay to the District a water supply access charge of $9,347.12 for each property to be connected to the water system or, if there is more than one dwelling on a property, for each dwelling to be connected to the water system.
- A water supply access charge shall be paid at the time of approval of a subdivision of a property under the Land Title Act or the Strata Property Act for each property created by the subdivision.
- If a water supply access charge has not been paid under subsection (2) at the time of subdivision, the water supply access charge shall be paid at the time the first dwelling is constructed on the property.
- A water supply access charge shall be paid at the time each additional dwelling is constructed on the property.
- A water supply access charge referenced in subsection (3) or (4) shall be paid by the owner at the earliest of the following, as applicable:
- before the approval of an application for the water service to a property;
- where an application for the water service has been approved, before the installation of a service connection; or
- where a service connection has been installed, before the dwelling is first occupied.
- Every owner shall notify the District at the time the owner receives a building permit for the construction of a dwelling on a property.
- For clarity, a water supply access charge shall be levied only once in respect of a property and is not payable where the charge has previously been paid for the property, except that a water supply access charge shall be levied and payable for each additional dwelling constructed on the property.
For more information regarding rates and tolls, please review Bylaw 206 or contact the DID Administrator at admin@didbc.com.
Capital Expenditure Charges
- In addition to other charges applicable under other bylaws of the Improvement District, every person who develops land must pay the applicable capital expenditure charge as set out in Schedule “A” of Bylaw 190.
For more information regarding the current CEC rates & how they apply, please review Bylaw 190 or contact the DID Administrator at admin@didbc.com
Bylaws can be updated at any time, so please check out the Bylaw page &/or contact the DID Administrator for the most current rates.