White Rock Lake wildfire victims face major cost to reconnect to water utility

It has been nearly a year since the White Rock Lake wildfire swept through parts of Killiney Beach on the west side of Okanagan Lake, but life is still far from back to normal.

It has been nearly a year since the White Rock Lake wildfire swept through parts of Killiney Beach, B.C., on the west side of Okanagan Lake, but life is still far from back to normal.

Some who lost homes to the fire in August 2021 are still struggling with the basics like reconnecting to the local water system.

Those property owners are now speaking out about what they feel is an unreasonably high cost for resuming water service.

Among them is Sandy Brandt. Just to get water for day-to-day life she must run a hose to her neighbours’ house every few days.

Brandt, her husband and granddaughter moved back to the site of their former house in late May.

The family has been living in an RV and is still not connected to the local water system.

“Thank goodness we have wonderful neighbours because they are lending us water, but I feel that I shouldn’t have to and for that reason I’m showering every second day, my granddaughter is showering every second day,” said Brandt.

Brandt said she wouldn’t have moved back if she had known there was no water.