UPDATE: M.L. water and sewer utility bill increase approved

UPDATE: Utility bills are going up in the New Year after Meadow Lake city council unanimously approved a 2.5 per cent increase.

Final approvals to water and sewer bills were given at the Sept. 26 meeting.

Effective Jan. 1, residents will pay $66 for a base water charge, $44 for a base sewer charge, $1.50 per cubic metre of water used at $0.60 per cubic metre of sewer water used.

—

Utility bills are going up in Meadow Lake after council approved the increase at last night’s meeting.

Missing Girl

Have you seen Savannah?

19h ago

Missing person

Spiritwood RCMP searching for missing woman

21h ago

Riding boundaries changing

MP Gary Vidal announces he won't seek re-election

Apr 23, 2024

After starting a self-funded model in January, residents pay $60 for a base water charge, $40 for a base sewer charge, $1.25 per cubic metre of water used and $0.50 per cubic metre of sewer-water used.

If given final approvals, the new rate would be effective Jan. 1, 2017 and will cost residents $66 for a base water charge, $44 for a base sewer charge, $1.50 per cubic metre of water used at $0.60 per cubic metre of sewer water used.

According to City Manager Diana Burton, the intention of the increase is to get to the point where water and sewer services are funded through the rates and not the general tax base.

The increase is “to get to the point where we were charging the users for consumption. We no longer charge a minimum, people get billed out based on the amount of water they use,” Burton said.

Since moving to the process of user-pay versus flat rates, most residents saw overall decreases in their bills with the biggest impact being on those who use lots of water.

This year, roughly $400,000 of tax dollars will be spent on water and sewer costs.

The annual increases will continue until services are completely self-funded.

“In 2020, we’ll still be charging somewhat less than some communities charge today,” Burton added.

Notifications of the intended rate increase are being sent out to residents in the next utility bills.

Final approvals are expected at council’s next meeting on Sept. 26.

Colton Swiderski is meadowlakeNOW’s municipal affairs, crime and court, health and education reporter. He can be reached at cswiderski@jpbg.ca or tweet him @coltonswiderski.