Water Metering FAQ 
📝 Petition to Halt Water Metering for Townhomes and Apartments in Squamish

To: The District of Squamish Council and Public Works Department

We, the Stratas and residents of Squamish, respectfully urge the District to reconsider and halt the implementation of water metering for townhomes and apartment complexes.

While we support responsible water use and conservation, we believe the current metering policy is inequitable, financially burdensome, and selectively enforced.

Here’s why:

• Unfair Targeting of Multi-Family Homes - Townhome and apartment residents are being singled out, while single-family homes—often with higher per capita water usage—remain exempt. This creates an unjust two-tiered system.
• Increased Financial Pressure - Many residents in multi-family units are renters, seniors, or families on fixed incomes. Water metering could lead to unpredictable and unaffordable utility bills, especially in a time of rising living costs.
• Lack of Transparency and Consultation -The decision to meter multi-family homes appears to have been made without adequate public consultation or a clear demonstration of how it will benefit residents directly.
• Alternative Conservation Strategies Exist - Education campaigns, leak detection programs, and infrastructure upgrades can achieve conservation goals without penalizing specific housing types.
• Unfair Pressure on Strata's - The District recommends that the Strata would receive one bill from the District and would be required to collect the fees from the residents through Strata fees. Each Strata could decide how to apportion costs. The District is recommending that costs are allocated based on the floor area (square footage) of each unit. However this is not an equitable way to split water costs by unit. Issues are already starting to occur amongst strata councils trying to determine an equitable way to navigate this issue. 

We call on the District of Squamish to:

• Pause the rollout of water meters for townhomes and apartments
• Conduct a full equity and impact assessment
• Engage in meaningful public consultation
• Explore fairer, community-wide conservation strategies

Let’s work together for a sustainable and fair approach to water management in Squamish.

Sign this petition to stand up for equity, affordability, and transparency.