On Council agenda for Dec. 2 there is a report recommending water and wastewater rates for 2020.  As reviewed the recommended rate is an annual increase for a “typical” resident which is defined as using 270 cubic m/yr (which puts the user in Tier 1) is  9.31%, $146.86 .  (The increase for the individual components is 2.94% for water and 14.29% for wastewater.)  Further below I am providing some more information on the driver of these significant increases; the underlying cause is that it is a provincial requirement that the rates achieve full cost recovery.

The increases are driven by two things:   York Region wholesale rate of water and wastewater treatment has been budgeted to increase 9%/year for the period 2016-2020; and Township operational costs (wages, fuel, contracted costs) have inflationary costs which need to be covered.  As indicated above the wastewater rate is increasing more than the water; this is due to fact that operating and capital costs for the former are escalating more than the latter i.e. water.  As has been the case for several years our rate structure is compromised of a base (fixed charge) and a tiered block charge which provide lower price for smaller users.  I believe this encouragement of water conservation is entirely appropriate.

The report suggests that efforts to effectively and accurately measure amount of water used for new home construction has not yet achieved objectives; I do want to understand this more.

Finally…for those who are going to read the report before the Council meeting.  The paragraph below the chart on page 4 is incorrect.  It will be corrected.  ALL the charts and number is the report are correct.