Sewer rates will rise for Black Diamond property owners in 2019 as the Town strives to recover its water-related costs. Black Diamond Town council passed third reading at its Nov. 21 meeting to amend its water and sewer bylaw so users pay based on consumption and meter size. The fee structure is similar to that of the water portion, which council amended earlier this year. “It’s to create more equity in the system so those who are using more are paying more,” Kris Nelson, urban systems planner, told council last week. “It also allows the Town to not only cover all operating costs for 2019, but to put some money into capital reserves. The sewer rates must increase to support the significant operational increases. If we’re looking at long term to replace capital we have to have money for that.” The current sewer rate applies an $86 flat rate for all users, regardless of water meter size. Multi-family and non-residential property owners pay an additional $2.36 per cubic metre exceeding 36 cubic metres of water consumption. The changes will have property owners paying a flat rate that ranges from $43 for 5/8-inch meters to $2,150 for six-inch meters each two-month billing period. Residential property owners with 5/8-inch diameter water meters will pay $43, plus $2.35 per cubic metre of water consumed. This means the average homeowner using 22 cubic metres of water every two months will pay $94.70, an increase of $8.70. Non-residential property owners will pay $215 for two-inch water meters, plus $2.35 per cubic metre of water used. This means the average merchant using 200 cubic metres of water would pay $685 every two months, an increase from $469.05. Multi-family buildings with 1.5-inch water meters that use 166 cubic metres of water every two months currently pay $389.16, or $25.94 per unit. The bill will increase to $605.16, or $40.34 per unit, in a two-month billing cycle, representing an increase of $14.33 per unit. “Right now we’re seeing multi-family units paying the same (flat rate) as single family users,” said Nelson. “With the meter size approach, that would go from $86 to $215 for the entire building and spread across to the various units.” Nelson said the increases reflect an estimated six to seven per cent increase in projected annual operating costs. He predicts operating and maintenance costs to climb 23 per cent from 2017 to 2021 due to aging infrastructure and inflation. “There needs to be a significant increase just to cover operational cost increases,” he said. “That’s really driven by costs to treat water, aging infrastructure and the general cost of inflation. In 2019 if we stay at the status quo we’re not going to generate enough revenue to cover operating costs.” Nelson said taxpayers haven’t seen an increase in their sewer bills since 2015 and the intent of the increases is to generate $800,000 in 2019 to cover operations and maintenance expenses and to put money away for capital expenditures. He said just over $700,000 is being generated now.
