Huge water
bill baffles
biz owner

BY IAN NOULE
News Reporter

LIONS Gate Cleaners
owner Peter Dowling has
learned that if you fight
back tenaciously enough,
you can beat district hall.

And, in the process, save
yourself a pile of dough.

Water worries caused
Dowling a few sleepless
nights carly last week.

‘ Specifically, it was the size
of his water and sewer bill
from the District of North

Vancouver that haunted him.

“tT was in total shock," he
said Monday morning.
“There is something radical-
ly wrong. If there is no mis-
take, I can't afford to be in
business.” :

For a three-month period
ending April 22, Dowling
was, charged $2,634.11 for
water for his. 1,500-square
foot business. |
’ -Business, he said, has not
increased during that time
period. co

. Previously, Dowling’s
“, business had been charged a
flat rate that had recently
increased to $55.66 a month.
Dowling’s bill from the
' district showed he had used

94,342 cubic metres

(20,755,240. gallons) of
water ia three months.

“H we had the valve open
and were pouring water in
the streets I don’t know how
we could: have used that
much,” he said. |

Dowling was not alone in
his belief that the. water bill
was on the high side.

Gary ,Mott, owner of
Highland. Cleaners on
“ Woodbine, said his much
‘ larger business receives a
water bill of $600 a month.

Of Dowling’s charges,
Mott said: “It’s a hell of a
lot. That doesn’t make
sense.” ;

“Aye yai -yai,”. added

_ Mountain Way Cleaners co-

owner... io’ Warkentin. “I
would think there is really
something wrong.”

-A district. water meter
inspector looked at the meter
Tuesday morning and told
the News he thought the
meter was working properly.

The meter was taken

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- to. be working to “minus

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NEWS photo Mike

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LIONS Gate Cieaners’ owner Peter Dowling fought North Vancouver District and
won when the district soaked him for more than $2,600 on a water and sewer bill.

four,” said Dowling.

“tt was working in my
favor if you can believe
that,” he said Wednesday.

As far as Dowling knew,
there was not a leak at his
business. The pipes, he
explained, were above
ground. “If there was a leak
we'd be under 10 feet of
water.”

Dowling, who's owned
the business since December
1995, said he thought he was

‘headed to court to fight the

bill.

However, on Wednesday ..-
afternoon, Dowling called
the News with big news. The
district’s director of finance,

_Michael Hoskin, had can-

celled the bill.
All $2,634.11 of it.
According to Dowling,

We Treat You
‘Royally

ots
beBed

the district said that because
Dowling was not aware of
the increase in volumes the
bill would be cancelled.
“Terrific. Fantastic. [ just
feel relieved,” said Dowling.
In future, Dowling said
he will monitor the water
carefully “to make sure there
are no more surprises.”
Hoskin returned a phone
call from the News, but he
could not be reached for
comment during a lengthy
game of telephone tag.
Mabel Darlington, a
water accounts clerk at the
district, said the McGuire
Avenue business should have
been taken off the flat-rate
pian earlier.
In 1995, the business paid
a $385.22 water and sewage
bill. If the business had been

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Vancouver's ©

infrastructure in good shape. This is the time of year to make safety.

impreverents to our streets. Also, crews continue to separate storm and
‘sanitary sewers to reduce pollution caused by sewer ovarflows.”

) There are good recsons to do this work during the summer. Traffic volumes :

" are lowest, so inconvenience is minimized, Drier weather permits more’
cost-effective construction methods to be used. ;
Work by the Provincial goverment on the Second Narrows Bridge will add:
to the usual summer traffic disruptions. This work, along with work the Cily
needs to do downtown for earthquake preparedness, will require special
patience from travellers, :

As always, we encourage residents and commuters to use alternate modes
of transportation whenever possible, and to travel in off-peak hours. Please
drive safely and respect the naighbourhoods that you will travel through

Here is a list of road projects that will affect you {see corresponding map
above). Other smaller projects will also continue during the summer.

Second
Narrows
Bridge, and
approaches

McGill St. ff
(Nanaimo to
Renfrew)

Clark Dr.
(Stewart to
Frances)

Terminal
at Cottrell

Clark at
Broadway

Broughton FU July 2 -
St. (Pender
te Robson}

Kul lune 15
July 3) | bo
EW une 15- | tnstall foft turn bays. Improve safety and reduce
July 31 . congestion, we

Sept. 30 | Dedicated Fire Protection System.

Repair bridge deck. One lane out of

service in both directions for duration.

Replace aging woter. main, | @°[-
separate sewers, improve
street safety.

Trenches for waterworks and sewer,
repaving, reconfiguration of
intersection.

Excavation to sewer depth. New Install sanitary trunk sower.

August 15 | microtunneling technology is used to

minimize traffic disruption.

Build new intersection and left turn Allow sofe access to new
ry. retail centre.

install earthquake resistant piping for | Improve downtown fire
protection for earthquake |’

or other emergency,

FURTHER INFORMATION: Bs

Province’s Second Narrows Bridge Hotline 981-0005 i
City of Vancouver Information line 871-6308:

act