Although universal meters have helped slow the leakage of water from the Abbotsford system, millions of litres are still disappearing from the system with no evident end user.
Fourteen per cent of all water in the Abbotsford system was estimated to result in no revenue for the city, according to a report contained within the new joint water plan for the city and Mission.
That’s down from 18 per cent in 2010, but lagging behind Mission. While Mission does not yet have universal meters for the joint system, it’s estimated that the district cut the amount of water loss in half, from 18 per cent to just nine per cent, between 2010 and 2016.
The trend for Abbotsford is good, the report says, but it notes that there’s a “conceptual case” that the city should have a lower water-loss figure than Mission, and that officials should find out just where the water is going.
The report suggests beginning a loss-management strategy, and “exploring regulatory tools and financial incentives … to be applied to each municipality including the strategic resource allocation of funds.”
That suggests that if Abbotsford or Mission is losing too much money, they may be asked to pay more towards the joint system.
Putting such rules in place, though, would require the sign-off from politicians in both municipalities.