File photo/Central Alberta Online.
Base and consumption rates for residential and commercial water and wastewater in Rocky Mountain House will increase starting April 1.
The new rate will appear on the May invoice and apply to April consumption.
Utilities operate on a cost-recovery model. The town charges what it costs to deliver utilities to residents and businesses.
Utilities are not subsidized by taxation. Only properties that use the municipal water and sewer are invoiced for the service.
The town’s fee structure includes base rates as well as consumption rates.
The base rates cover the standard operating and capital costs of the water and wastewater treatment plants and the distribution and collection infrastructure.
While the consumption rates cover the cost of treating the water and wastewater.
New water and sewer rates will be as follows:
The increases are a result of the new mechanical wastewater treatment plant that will come on stream in 2025.
Following provincial and federal environmental regulation changes, the town broke ground on a new mechanical wastewater treatment plant.
This $30-million facility will be commissioned in mid-2025.
The cost to operate the mechanical plant will be higher than the current lagoon system, at approximately $1 million per year.
The new utility rates coming into effect on April 1 are supported by a 2023 utility rate study, to ensure rates charged cover operating and capital costs for current and future operations.
As of April 1, the average residential property consuming 14 m3 of water per month will see a $16.35 increase in monthly billing for water and wastewater.
For properties that also pay for residential solid waste, the increase will be tempered by a decrease in solid waste fees, the result of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Legislation.
EPR places the financial responsibility of recycling paper and packaging products on the producer, not the consumer or municipality.
There will be no impact on service when residential solid waste fees decrease by $4.62 per month.
The average residential utility bill will see a net increase of $12.20 per month, for a total of $142.03 per month.
With the split base and consumption rates, households and businesses that moderate water use can have more control over their bill.
Click here for ways to reduce water consumption.
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