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Salt Spring Island Real Estate

MLS homes for sale by Scott Simmons

Water Sustainability Act or new tax grab?

February 1, 2017 By Scott Simmons 2 Comments

Staff from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) was on Salt Spring 18 Jan 2017 explaining the new Water Sustainability Act (WSA).  The WSA came into effect on the 29 Feb 2016.  The big changes that affect people on Salt Spring are the new licensing of groundwater (well water).  The new licenses will “run with the land” and basically be attached to the lot.  The main principle is if there is a shortage of water the right will be given on the principle of “First in time, First in Rights”.  Basically, the older the license the stronger the right to the water will be.

The good news is not everyone will need a license.  Basically, home owners using the water for domestic use will be exempt.  You will be able to irrigate a garden up to 1000 sq meters or 1/4 acre.  However, they would still like you to register your domestic well and have it in the database.  Here is a link to the well data base.  It’s a little hard to use, but once one gets the hang of it, it’s a valuable resource.  It would be good to have all the wells on the site.  Approximately about 50% of the Salt Spring wells are in the database.

Those that have a home-based business, farm, market garden, B&B, office, art studio or just about any and all nondomestic use will have to get a license.  The application fee will be free for the first year but not after that.  The minimum charge per year will be $200. There will be different rate classes.  I think this is a direct response to companies like Nestle buying groundwater for almost nothing and selling it.  From what the FLNRO staff says agriculture will be at a low rent fee of $.85 per 1000 cubic meter.

Please note you have to apply for a 30-year license term of “rent” and the province can arbitrarily change the “rent” at any time.  Why will the province not set the “rent” for the term of the license?  If it a 30-year license then makes the term of the “rent” stand for the 30 years.  The way the province has set it up now is worse than late night TV ad that does not tell you the shipping and handling charge.  They have set the “rent” low as an introductory offer without any guarantee that they will not jack up the “rent” as they see fit.  Now the “rent” will be $.85 per 1000 cubic meters for agriculture use.  See section 23 of the act.  I do not like contracts that are one-sided and the terms have been set by the side that writes the contract without giving the other side the right to counter offer and or amend the contract.  Hopefully, I’m wrong and this will not prove out to be anything more than a tax grab against those on wells.



The other main problem with the act is the 17-page application.  If I was a bureaucrat I would want complex forms that are almost impossible to fill out.  It would almost certainly lead to the call for more staff to handle all the backlog.  Why not have a simple one-page form?  Here is the link to the licence application.  Good luck.  If you manage to get it done please let me know how it went.  I think I will wait until the 31 of December to start my application.  Maybe enough people will wait until the last free day and jam up the system for a year or so.  Yes I know I’m cynical but after seeing first hand how the 2006 septic regulation has driven the cost up by thousands it’s hard not to feel like this is just another punitive tax grab on us rural folks.

A word of caution.  If you do not get your license and are claiming farm status it will not take the assessment authority use this against you.  The other big thing I see with the new water licenses is the value of them. The new WSA has basically put a monetary value on older wells that have older licenses especially if it a big license for lots of water.  As an example just think what the Crofton mill is worth with its 1950s license to draw water out of Lake Cowichan.   The water is probably worth a heck of a lot more than the paper the mill makes now.  Maybe that is why the Indian company made an offer to purchase it last year.  Who knows. You have until Dec 31, 2017, to get your license. Don’t be late.

 

Cheers Scott Simmons

 

Filed Under: Buy house on Salt Spring

Comments

  1. Linda Quiring says

    March 15, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    Hi…very interesting! Got an email from a private company to help us get a license…..why have we never received a notice from the govt telling us? So, tried it all…argh! Then found your post…everything you said is true……I am tearing my hair out!
    Help! What is the easiest way to do this? We have the Soapworks/Pegasus bldg…use about 50 gallons per day…..almost same as domestic….Pegasus uses enough to flush the toilet….Soapworks uses a gallon or two for soap making per day…….will we really be fined $10,000 if we don’t comply?

    Reply
    • Scott Simmons says

      March 15, 2021 at 12:39 pm

      Hi, Linda, there is no easy way, I’m sure they can fine you but will they? Not sure. If you do find an easy way please feel free to post it here. Cheers Scott

      Reply

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Forms for the new BC Real Estate rules
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Salt Spring Real Estate Market Report

If you are looking for Salt Spring Island Real Estate it would be well worth your time to check out my Salt Spring Market Report pages.

To help you search for a Salt Spring home for sale I have two systems you can use.  One is a map based mobile search system for tablets and/or phones. This system works really well if you are on Salt Spring, as it will automatically show you properties as you drive around the island.

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These two systems display information in real time, which allows you to view new listings within one second of them coming on the market. You will also find the “sold” prices of homes, as well as other useful information.

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June 16, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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February 17, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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Is an offer an sale?

January 26, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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SALT SPRING NEWS

Salt Spring Housing Crisis explained

July 12, 2018 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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March 7, 2017 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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CRD sewer and solid waste

January 23, 2017 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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May 11, 2016 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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Salt Spring’s new SSIWPA PAC

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Critical Salt Spring Buying Info

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June 16, 2018 By Scott Simmons 2 Comments

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Does the home get sunlight?

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January 2, 2012 By Scott Simmons Leave a Comment

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