New increased water rates will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022. (Elliott Knopp/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Elliott Knopp

Water Increase

Water and sewer rates increasing in 2022

Oct 1, 2021 | 2:21 PM

The City of Meadow Lake has passed an amendment bylaw that will see a mild increase to the City’s water and sewer rates.

The announcement comes after multiple council meetings in which the City worked toward resuming its plan of achieving a cost-effective system by implementing mild rate increases over several years.

This would help the City move away from subsidizing water bills and shift the responsibility of paying for personal water usage to the residents.

Throughout discussions, Mayor Merlin Seymour mentioned council opted to temporarily defer the rate increases while the community adapted to new challenges presented by COVID-19.

“Last year, we decided as a council to keep it as status quo because of the implications COVID-19 was bringing to our community, and we did not want to cause any extra strain,” he said.

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With the new bylaw in place, the base water charge will climb from $78.57 to $84.86 per quarterly billing. Water consumption will rise from $1.97 to $2.17 per cubic meter.

The full sewer base sewer charge will increase from $52.38 to $56.57 per quarterly billing. The consumption rate will bump from $0.79 per cubic meter of water charged to $0.87.

The light sewer base sewer charge will grow from $32.38 per quarterly billing to $36.57. The consumption rate will climb from $0.79 per cubic meter of water charged to $0.87.

Previously, Coun. Conrad Read stated the importance of moving away from subsidized water so the current water can become revenue neutral.

“We shouldn’t be subsidizing water usage through the use of home taxes or commercial taxes,” Read said.

“It should be a user pay system. We did defer [the increases] a couple times due to COVID and the assessment year, and I think that was fair.”

City documents project the annual rate increases to cease by 2026. At that point, the City should be within reach of their target of achieving a cost recovery system.

Notice of the proposed rate increase will be sent out with the quarterly utility billing at the beginning of October.

The amendment and new rates will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp