Residents brace for an increase in their utility bill

Times Reporter

 

All Strathmore residents may be shocked with their next utility bill, when an increase of 154 per cent to the sewer levy is indicated on the bill. 

“We commissioned the new wastewater treatment plant this year, so basically that increases our capacity here in town for wastewater treatment,” said Jesse Parker, Director of Engineering and Operations for the town

The town also increased their visibility for the accounting, previously bills showed a 50/50 split between water and wastewater. Parker said because of their negotiation with EPCOR on contract pricing there will be better visibility as to what the cost of each utility is, and there is now a bit of a higher allocation on the sewer side that has been corrected this year.

“The variable sewer rate back in 2010 was .63 cents per cubic metre of potable water used. We had a $1.15 million deficit on the sewer side of things for 2011, so that required an increase to the variable sewer rate to a $1.60, or an increase of .97 cents per cubic metre. So it’s a $1.60 per cubic metre, is what the new rate is,” said Parker. 

“We knew that the prices were going to increase as a result of the new plant but didn’t really have an appreciation that they were going to be quite so substantial.” 

The increase ties into the amount of potable water used, said Parker. The average potable water use in a month is approximately 11 cubic metres, so an increase of $1 per cubic metre is only an increase of $11. For high potable water users, who use approximately 30 cubic metres per month it’s a $30 increase a month. 

He said what the town tries to do is have the utilities try to fund themselves, and he said if they weren’t doing that, then they would basically have to fund it through taxation. Parker said the change to the water rates is not a result of the cost increasing, and said it’s more of a philosophical change between variable and fixed rates. Parker said he is not sure if the costs will go down for 2012.

“Until we have a little more certainty with some of the operation costs and some of the disposal costs associated with the waste from the plant, we don’t know. We’re working to try to reduce some of those costs but we’re not sure exactly how much we’ll be able to reduce them.” 

More information about the utility rates can be found on the town’s website.