Council is exploring the possibility of revamping the Town’s water and sewer rate structure to better reflectneighbouring municipalities. Look for Public meeting notices and surveys for completion in the latter part of 2019.
CURRENT STRUCTURE
Flat-rate structure with all users paying for a minimum of 40 m3
The 2019 minimum bill on a regular 20mm meter is $162.27 The base rate $43.62 + water charge $43.62 + sewer charge $75.03.
Summary
A household using 10 m3 /per billing pays $4.36/m based on the water charge.
Whereas
A household using 40 m3 /per billing pays $1.09/m based on the water charge.
Multi-residential properties – each unit pays for 40 m3
PROPOSED STRUCTURE
Proposed new bill will consist a of base rate reflecting fixed costs + volume charge reflecting variable costs + capital surcharge to maintain a reserve for the future
Revised structure for multi-residential properties will be based on the number and size of service connections
Objective: User-pay system
Three-year gradual phase-out of mandatory volume charge is proposed
BENEFITS OF CHANGE
Equitable, user-pay system
• Incentive to conserve, reducing demand on the treatment, collection and distribution systems
• Better reflects true costs of service provision to the user
• Aligns with practices of other area municipalities while remaining cost competitive
DID YOU KNOW?
Water and Wastewater Facilities Upgrades
Complete renewal and upgrade of the Town Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants has been completed over the past 5 years. Upgrades were also completed at the First Street Pumping Station. The facilities, originally constructed in the mid-1970s, had reached the end of their useful service life and lacked sufficient capacity to accommodate future community growth.
Highlights of the upgrades include:
All treatment process equipment and controls have been replaced and modernized to meet current Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Standards.
New, more stringent effluent standards were established for the upgraded wastewater treatment process to better preserve water quality in the Bay of Quinte. The new process has consistently demonstrated compliance with the prescribed limits.
The new water treatment process utilizes dissolved air flotation (DAF) technology. DAF is highly effective in the removal of blue-green algae which has become a health concern in the Bay of Quinte over the past several years.
New lighting, motor controls, and upgraded insulation were incorporated into the construction to improve efficiency.