Accessibility and Access Keys [0]
The city’s planning and environment committee has approved water and sewer rate changes, but councillors have delayed a controversial decision on how charges will be set out under the new structure.
Under the current rate structure, residents are charged only for water used. Since people have used less water in recent years, the city has lost revenue even while water and wastewater costs increased.
City staff proposed a base rate, plus usage charges, to recover some of the system’s fixed costs and guarantee a certain amount of money each year regardless of the amount of water sold.
Under the proposal, as much as 20 per cent of residential customers who have low average monthly consumption would likely see their bills rise about $5 per month, while average users’ bills would likely stay the same and higher users would probably see lower bills.
On Tuesday, the committee approved a “base plus volumetric” rate structure, but staff have been directed to report May 11 on options for rates “based on levels of consumption that would be more supportive and encourage greater conservation efforts.”
They’re also to look into options of phasing in the base rate over five years and a charge structure that would shift additional costs resulting from the base rate structure from low water users to high users. The changes would take effect in 2011.