Mirror Lake 

Water Users Community

 Information Pack
 Table of Contents

Our Mission 3
General 3
How a Water Users Community works 5
Powers of the WUC: 6
Liabilities of Members: 6
Responsibilities of the Manager 6
Compliance 7
Mirror Lake Water Users Community Website 8

MLWUC Information Pack

Page 1
MLWUC Information Pack
Page 2
Our Mission
To acquire, employ, maintain and protect, in an efficient and effective manner, the resources
required to provide clean, potable water to Mirror lake Water Users Community members in
accordance with the Water Sustainability Act.

General

In 1958 a dam was constructed on Bjerkness Creek to provide hydroelectric power generation for the surrounding area.
Whilst no longer used for generating power, the dam is now the reservoir for the provision of untreated domestic and
irrigation water where the community’s water is collected and then delivered to individual property lines via the plumbing
infrastructure that is in place throughout the community. Whilst some of the original infrastructure remains, the system
has been upgraded to PVC pipe over the past 40 years.

Mirror Lake Water Users Community (MLWUC) was first incorporated in 1971 starting with 24 water users and has grown to
the current 60 members. Mirror Lake is situated in Area D of the RDCK, south of Kaslo, BC.

MLWUC Information Pack

Page 3
A water users' community (WUC) is a group of six or more water licensees, each with their own licence(s), who create and
maintain a community system to store and deliver water to their respective places of use. Water users' communities are
incorporated and named by the Comptroller of Water Rights. The Water users Community is responsible for maintaining
the annual Community Permit from Interior Health, whilst individual licensee members are responsible for the payment
and upkeep of their own licences with Front Counter, BC

Please be advised that at this time, the community is on a “boil water notice’ and all
water for human consumption must be boiled before ingesting
.

There is an annually assessed fee for each water licence that is supplied by the MLWUC system. The fee is determined as
per the guidelines set out in the Water Users’ Community Act. The method and rate is voted on by the members of the
MLWUC at the Annual General Meeting and the resulting Assessment Roll is submitted to the water Controller for
confirmation.

The original reservoir dam and piping continues to be maintained by the community. The costs of an annually agreed
maintenance and operations plan are incorporated into the fees used to determine the Assessment Roll.

The MLWUC consists of members of the community who hold active water licences as set out in the Water Users’
Community Act, and is a non- profit volunteer-based community, governed by the Water Users’ Community Act and a
member approved set of bylaws. The elected board of directors hold monthly board meetings as well as host an Annual
General Meeting in which members are encouraged to participate. We have active members of our community who also
volunteer their time and efforts to help maintain our water system, if you would also like to help the community, please
feel free to contact one of the members of the Board.

New owners of properties within the Community are encouraged to advise the Board of their ownership so they can
receive information about maintenance, and administration matters as soon as possible

For more information about Water User Communities in British Columbia, please visit the Government of B.C website:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/water-licensing-rights/water-users-communities

MLWUC Information Pack

Page 4
How a Water Users Community works

MLWUC Information Pack

Page 5
Powers of the WUC:
(1)A water users' community is a public corporate body and may

(a) Acquire, hold and control property and licences,

(b) Acquire, construct, hold, maintain, improve, replace and operate works, and

(c) Levy assessments on its members and enforce payment of those assessments by suit in a court of competent
jurisdiction.

(2) A water users' community has the exclusive control and operation of the works constructed or used under the licences
mentioned in its certificate of incorporation, and may refuse the use or benefit of those works to a member who is in
default in paying an assessment or complying with a rule of the manager

Liabilities of Members:
(1) A member of a water users' community is liable for that part of the debts of the water users' community that is
proportionate to the member's interest in the water users' community.

(2) On disposing of the land to which is appurtenant the licence on which his or her membership is based and notifying the
manager, a member may limit his or her liability for the debts of the water users' community to those incurred before the
notice was given.

(3) A purchaser of land to which water is conveyed through works controlled by a water users' community is liable for the
assessments made and the debts of the water users' community incurred after his or her purchase of the land to the same
extent as an original member, unless and until the purchaser notifies the manager that he or she does not wish to be a
member of the water users' community.

Responsibilities of the Manager

(1) The business of a water users' community must be conducted by a manager, which includes a committee of
management, who must, so far as is practicable, carry out the directions set out in resolutions passed at general meetings
of the water users' community.

MLWUC Information Pack

Page 6
(2) The first manager must be appointed by the comptroller and all subsequent managers must be chosen by the
members of the water users' community.

(3) A manager may be removed at any time at a meeting called for that purpose.

Compliance
With regard to water supply and use, the Water Users Community is required to comply not only with the Water Users
Community Act, but also with a larger regulatory body of legislation together with the associated Regulations. In addition,
there are Community bylaws to be upheld as well as resolutions decided by the community itself.

Privacy is also an important part of running a community and the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act must also be
taken into account.

A list of the important legislative and regulatory documents can be found below together with the associated links.

It should be noted that the members of a water users community are jointly liable for all costs incurred and actions taken
by the community so it is important that all members familiarise themselves with the terms of the Water Users
Community Act.

Acts
Water Sustainability Act http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/14015

Drinking Water Protection Act http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/01009_01

Water Users Community Act http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96483_01

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96165_00

Regulations
Water Sustainability http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/36_2016

Dam Safety http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/40_2016

MLWUC Information Pack

Page 7
Bylaws
MLWUC Bylaws https://mirrorlakewater.weebly.com/bylaws.html

Resolutions
Refer AGM Minutes https://mirrorlakewater.weebly.com/minutes.html

Mirror Lake Water Users Community Website

mirrorlakewater.weebly.com

The Mirror Lake water users Community Website contains a host of information, including a list of the current
Management Team and an email contact form.

The site map for the current website is shown below. Please note that this is subject to change.

Please feel free to contact us via the website if you have any queries at mirrorlakewuc@gmail.com or via the website

MLWUC Information Pack

Page 8