Wastewater rates to rise four per cent for Wellington North residents

KENILWORTH – Wellington North residents will see their wastewater rates increase by four per cent next year.

That’s the increase approved by council on Nov. 17, after they considered everything from a 3.75 to 8% increase.

It will be accompanied by a 2% increase to water rates that council approved on Oct. 29.

At that time, a wastewater rate increase of 8% was recommended but council voted to defer the decision to gather more information first.

John Murphy from DFA Infrastructure International presented a wastewater rate review to council and said the initial 8% increase was recommended to fund needed capital asset replacements totalling an average of $2.3 million a year.

With a 4% wastewater rate increase, the township’s combined water and wastewater reserves would be about $10.6 million by 2035.

That compares to between about $15 and $16 million with an 8% increase, which is more in line with what would be needed for capital asset replacements.

With a 3.75% increase reserves would be just under $10 million, and with a 5% increase almost $14 million.

From Mayor Andy Lennox’s perspective, approving the 4% increase would mean leaning on provincial grants to make up for the $4.4 to $5.5 funding gap.

“Our community has been growing at a rapid rate – more rapid than we originally anticipated – to the point where we need to invest more capital dollars today to accommodate that growth,” Lennox said.

“I think we should be demanding that, as a community that’s been doing more than our share when it comes to accommodating housing growth, it is only reasonable that we should get a share in the capital grants for wastewater services as well, like some of our larger counterparts do on an annual basis.”

Lennox said upping rates by 8% would place an unfair burden on Wellington North rate payers.

“We are growing at a rate that serves provincial needs more than it serves local needs, and so I think it would be a mistake for us to implement the full 8%,” he continued.

Mayor and council agreed that an increase of 4% is a good “middle of the road” option for a rate increase.