RDKB hosts Groundwater Licensing Workshop
By Boundary Sentinel
Jessica Mace, Coordinator of the Kettle River Watershed Authority for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary said in a media release that there is a Groundwater Licensing Workshop in November at the Community Centre in Midway.
Mace said BC’s new Water Sustainability Act requires non-domestic groundwater users to obtain a water license and pay water fees to use groundwater.
Mace said users applying before December 31, 2017 will have the application fee waived.
Users applying before March 1, 2019 will have first-in-time and first-in-right privileges.
The workshop is set for Monday, November 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Midway Community Centre at 692 7th Ave in Midway.
Lunch is provided.
Linda Allison of the BC Cattlemen’s Association, Hamish Aubrey, a BC Water Authorization Officer as well as Mac will be present to assist with licensing on the spot.
What You Will Need:
- Laptop if possible (some computers available).
Documents to bring: (ideally scanned and on a memory stick ready for uploading):
- Certificate of Title, or a privately held land lease (if you lease the land where the water is used).
- Evidence of date of first use of the groundwater (e.g. well log/drill record, receipt for pump installation, dated photograph, signed statement from a knowledgeable person).
- A map or drawing (ideally completed prior to the workshop — click on the link below to access an online map template) that includes:
- your property boundary, and your neighbour’s property boundary.
- location of the water source.
- show all parcels of land (private & Crown) where the waters are located.
- show where the water will be used (e.g. the area to be irrigated).
- indicate and label all water works, existing or proposed (e.g. intake/well, pipeline, pump, ponds, irrigation systems, stock water trough, etc.)
- If someone other than the person who will hold the licence is submitting the applica-tion, provide a letter of agency authorizing that person to apply on your behalf.
- If any of your works are on Crown Land, a copy of the permit, tenure, or other authori-zation to use Crown Land that is relevant to the location of the water diversion.
- If you share or are connected to another person’s works, it is recommended that a Joint Works Agreement be completed.
Information To Bring:
- Your BCeID username & password if you have one, or you can register for one online at www.bceid.ca
- The purpose of water use, the quantity of water use, & the time of year of water use.
- The legal land description (on your Certificate of Title or property tax notice) & PID for your property (and your neighbour’s property if the well is located on their property).
- Location of your well(s) (latitude & longitude in Decimal Degree format).
- Details of the well & other works (e.g. pipe, pump, irrigation system, & stock watering troughs).
- Well depth & well identification plate number or well tag number.
- If applicable, the name of the owner(s) of any land not owned by you (i.e. if the well is on your neighbour’s property).
For further details of what you’ll need to apply for a groundwater licence, visit FrontCounterBC website.
