Utility costs are rising in Morinville.
After approving the town's 2023 operating budget at a council meeting on December 6, a layout of what residents can expect was brought into place.
Travis Nosko, the manager of financial services with the town, explains that the town doesn't own any of the major infrastructures for water and wastewater.
"We are actually a part of a regional system for water and wastewater," said Nosko. "We are essentially subject to whatever the costs for either the provision of water from the regional water commission or the treatment for the regional wastewater commission."
"We also build in the cost of our internal distribution system and some amount to be able to help repair and replace that system."
The town was able to keep rates the same for 2022, but with inflation wreaking havoc, rates have increased slightly.
"We are expecting the average water cost to go up about $4 a month, sanitary to go up about $3.50 a month, solid waste will be pretty much the same," said Nosko.
Residential stormwater rates will also go from $10 to $15.
It's difficult to project how these rates will be affected in the next few years. Nosko is keeping optimistic.
"The big driving factor for inflation for all of these things is really the cost of fuel," said Nosko. "I'm hopeful that some things will come down, at least enough to keep increases to a minimum or be able to stay stagnant for a while."
"I wouldn't expect things to go back down."