New Metered Water and Sewer Rates

Water Consumption

Base Charges

What are the monthly base charges?

•   These charges cover the cost to have the service available like the delivery cost on your other non-municipal utilities.  It includes the cost to build and maintain the service that does not change whether you use the water or not.

•   The new base charges are based on a similar ideology to the Water and Sewer Capital Charges previously imposed.

•   If a water shut off is requested, the monthly base charge is still imposed to cover the cost of having safe, clean and reliable water and proper wastewater treatment available.

New Monthly Unmetered/Flat Rates

What do water and wastewater charges cover the cost of?

•   Ensuring a safe, clean, and reliable water supply

•   Proper wastewater treatment to protect the environment and water sources from pollutants

•   Maintaining, replacing, and building new infrastructure as required for sustainability of the system

What are the advantages of the new pricing structure?

•   The removal of a minimum gallons incentivizes conservation which assists to keep future rates as low as possible.  When we use less water, there is less wear and tear on the infrastructure, maintenance costs are lower, the equipment lasts longer, and expensive upgrades can be delayed.

•    It removes the variation between residential users and commercial users by charging the same base charge by meter size and the same consumptive rate for all users.  The billing result is more equitable since the cost per gallon of water does not change whether you are a residential or non-residential customer.

•    The resulting structure is much simpler to administer and understand with the removal of the minimum gallons allowed as well as the fixed consumptive portion of the structure.

•     It allows metered customers with low volume consumption to benefit from conservation for the variable portion of the charge when usage is below 1,000 gallons per month. 

What are the characteristics of the Town’s original pricing structure (pre-2021)?

•   Different consumptive charges based on whether you are commercial or residential

•   Different capital charges per meter size based on whether you are commercial or residential

•   Minimum gallons allowed differed based on meter size and whether it is a commercial or residential customer

•   Did not allow metered customers to benefit from consumption less that 1,000 gallons per month with a fixed consumptive charge in place

Water Conservation 

Simple water conservation practices not only save money on your bill, but also help preserve our natural environment.

Helpful Conservation Tips:

•   Take shorter showers - Long, hot showers can waste 10 to 20 litres of water every unneeded minute. Install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictors - Most local hardware or plumbing supply stores stock inexpensive water-saving showerheads or restrictors that are easy to install.

•   Take baths - A bath in a partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest shower

•   Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.

•   Test your toilets monthly to make sure they aren’t leaking and check for outdoor leaks in pipes, hoses and faucets.

•   Practice filling your second sink a quarter of the way with clean water when washing dishes to rinse them rather than letting the water run.

•   Use your automatic dishwasher and washing machines for full loads only - If you plan on purchasing a new appliance, invest in one that is high efficiency

•   Never overfill the washing machine when doing a small load of laundry, set it to the proper load size to save water.

•   Use a broom, not a hose, to clean your driveway and walkways and don't run the hose while washing your car.

•   Only water your lawn or garden when needed.

•   Use a rain barrel to collect rainwater that can be used for watering gardens.