The Outback Water Utility is a small utility managed by the Regional District of North Okanagan and services the Outback Strata located at 9845 Eastside Road. GVW operates the water intake from Okanagan Lake while the Outback strata maintains the distribution system within the Strata boundaries.
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GVW is a regional water utility owned and operated by the RDNO. Some utility operations are contracted out to the City of Vernon and the District of Coldstream to achieve efficiencies, such as billing and operations, which is why your water bill comes from your municipality.
Water rates are set by the RDNO Board of Directors and customers are welcome to contact GVW staff if you have questions about the rates. However, customers will receive their water bills via their local municipality (Vernon or Coldstream) or Electoral Area (RDNO). Please contact the municipality that issued your bill if you have questions about the specific charges on your bill.
Municipality Phone City of Vernon 250-545-1361 District of Coldstream 250-545-5304 RDNO - Electoral Areas 250-550-3700 Rates are based on the actual cost to provide water. GVW does not receive any taxation money and the only outside source of income are grant funds that the utility seeks out to assist in reducing costs to customers. The current rates bylaw can be found here:
As a regional utility, GVW legally cannot run a deficit and each year’s annual expenses, including operation & maintenance, debt payments, construction and reserve contributions, must be recovered directly from user fees during that year or be funded from reserves.
All customers pay an Infrastructure Base Fee. The purpose of this fee is to cover approximately half the costs of the water system, ensuring a stable source of funds that won’t fluctuate based on water consumption. In a rainy year, water use may drop significantly but the majority of the cost to provide water on demand 24/7 to a property does not depend on the volume of water used.
A consumption charge per cubic metre of water used (in addition to the Infrastructure Base Fee) is levied to encourage efficient water use. This fee doesn’t reflect the actual cost to produce a cubic meter of water, but instead involves tiered fees that increase as the volume of water used increases.
A Water Meter Renewal Fee was created to equitably fund water meter replacement costs and ensure transparent accounting. GVW has begun a multi-year asset management program to better manage the costs associated with maintenance, repair, and replacement of infrastructure such as meters. The Infrastructure Base Fee was reduced to offset the introduction of this fee to customers.
Billing Information Water & Sewer Utility Billing How to Pay Your Utility Bill -
- GVW Rates Imposition Bylaw No. 2864, 2020
- GVW Subdivision and Development Servicing – Bylaw No. 2650, 2013
- GVW Subdivision and Development Servicing Application Procedures and Administrative Fees - Bylaw No. 2658, 2015
- GVW Metering – Bylaw No. 2731, 2019
- GVW Use and Regulation – Bylaw No. 2545, 2014
- Cross Connection Control Regulation – Bylaw No. 2651, 2014
- Development Cost Charges – Bylaw No. 1983, 2004
- Greater Vernon Regional Water Supply Local Service Establishment - Bylaw No. 1262, 1994
- Ticket Information Authorization – Bylaw No. 2908, 2021
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To ensure water remains clean and uncontaminated, the RDNO has a Cross Connection Control Program. Certain services at higher risk of introducing contaminates into the water system must install cross connection prevention devices as per the Regional District of North Okanagan Cross Connection Control Regulation Bylaw No. 2651, 2014. These devices prevent contaminates from flowing backward, in the rare but possible instances of reverse flow into the community water supply.
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- Backflow Assembly Test Report
- Bacteria Water Sample Collection - New Water Line
- Cross Connection Assessment
- Development Variance Permit
- Encoder-Receiver-Transmitter (ERT) Opt Out
- Fire Hydrant Request
- Flushing/Testing/Disinfection
- Hydrant Use Permit
- Leak Adjustment
- Legal Document Amendment or Discharge
- Owners Appointment of an Agent
- Proof of Water
- Truck Fill Station/Standpipe User Agreement
- Water Allocation Adjustment
- Water Main Testing Checklist
- Water Meter Removal
- Water Service / Development Inquiry
Printed copies of these GVW forms are also available at the RDNO office.
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GVW has year-round water restrictions, with no lawn sprinkler use allowed between the hours of 10:00 am - 7:00 pm, to limit water waste. To learn more about ways you can make your home or business more waterwise, visit our water conservation page.
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The Outback follows the Interior Health Water Quality Program, which is dedicated to achieving safe, clean, reliable drinking water as an essential component of a healthy community.
Annual and Monthly water quality reports are published to ensure transparency.
Residents can sign up for email notifications to follow water source changes or supply interruptions (planned or emergency).
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- Greater Vernon Water Fire Hydrants on Private Property - Policy No. ENG-WTR-004
- Greater Vernon Water Purchase of Agricultural Water Allocation - Policy No. ENG-WTR-005
- Latecomer Procedure - Policy No. ENG 001, and Procedure Manual (includes Application
- Maximum Number of Water Services - Policy No. ENG-WTR-001
- Statutory Right of Way Release - Policy No. BPOL-007
- Utility Acquisition - Policy No. ENG-WTR-002
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New developments requiring water servicing from GVW must follow the following standards:
- Greater Vernon Water Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw No. 2650, 2013
- AC Pipe Crossing
- Air Valve Chamber
- Highway/Railway Crossing
- Typical Irrigation Service - 38mm - 75mm
- Typical Outdoor Water Meter Box
- Typical Outdoor Water Meter Pit
- Typical Water Meter Installation in Building
- U Bend Detail
- Water Main Anchors
GVW's metering program requires water meters on all services. Please see Greater Vernon Water Metering - Bylaw No. 2731, 2019.
To ensure water remains clean and uncontaminated right to your tap, we have implemented a Cross Connection Control Program. Certain services at higher risk of introducing contaminates into the water system must install cross connection prevention devices as per the Regional District of North Okanagan Cross Connection Control Regulation Bylaw No. 2651, 2014. These devices prevent contaminants from flowing backward within a piping system and into the potable (drinking) water system.