Town has few options for water rates

It's tough to swallow, but there's very little Innisfil's municipal government can do to avoid significant water and wastewater rate increases.

Municipal staff presented proposed new water and wastewater rates to a town committee last week. If approved as presented, water and wastewater base service fees would increase by an average of 7.3 and 6.3 per cent per year respectively, until 2025. The per cubic metre rate would also increase this year, from $.99 to $1.09, under the proposal.

Staff say the increases are necessary, in order to comply with the provincial government's Sustainable Water and Sewer Systems Act. That Act essentially forces municipal governments to become self-sustainable, rather than seek provincial and federal handouts for large-scale water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

According to town treasurer Audrey Webb, municipal governments are forced to build large reserve funds for water and wastewater projects over the next few years, as a result of the Act. In fact, the town is actually taking proactive steps to ensure that reserve is built over a long time, to lessen the impact on residents.

But that hardly makes life easier for residents, who will be forced to shoulder the brunt of the increases. Remember, this is becoming a permanent measure for the foreseeable future. Residents will continue to see climbing water and wastewater bills, at much higher percentage increases than typical pay raises and inflation. So residents will see less money in their bank accounts, with more allocated to paying for a basic necessity of life.

It’s hard to see this as anything more than provincial downloading. And there’s barely consolation that cubic metre increases are partly justified as a possible conservation method. Homeowners still need water for drinking, cooking, washing clothes, bathing and other essential uses. Even if they're carefully watching their water usage, there will be little relief as base rates continue to increase.

So far, at least one member of the public has said she faces the very real possibility of losing her house, if the rates climb as proposed. How many other residents will face the same crippling increases, in both Innisfil and other jurisdictions across the region?

This is, after all, a province-wide issue, which has left municipalities woefully unprepared.

Innisfil’s municipal government needs to shoulder some of the blame, for waiting years to develop a savings strategy. And there are few areas it can cutback, in an effort to relieve its citizens. Any relief will come at the expense of vital road, infrastructure and recreation projects at this point.

Instead, the province should be held accountable for tossing aside its support for a vital service. There should be pressure for the province to provide some transition funding, at least. Without help, this Act could sink more than a few family ships.