About 1,100 residents in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District will see fee increases to operate and maintain their community water and sewer systems.
The TNRD Board of Directors approved user fee increases between 2024 and 2028, as part of several updates to the TNRD Utility Rates Bylaw. The increases were based on a recommendation from the TNRD’s Utility Systems Committee, which is made up of TNRD directors.
The TNRD owns and operates 11 water systems and two sewer systems in the district, including some in the North Thompson Valley.
In Blue River, there are about 177 customers on a TNRD community water system. Residents on that system will see an increase from $731 to $815.
In Vavenby, there are an estimated 115 customers who will see an increase from $749 to $777.
Evergreen Estates residents, located off of River Heights Drive south of Barriere, will see an increase in the fee from $1,459 to $1,517.
According to a news released issued by the TNRD, changes will come into effect in the second quarter of 2024, and will be reflected in bills sent to customers in July 2024.
“Maintaining tiny utility systems with very small tax bases is a challenge for regional districts, since rural utility systems do not have the same economy of scale benefits as larger, municipal water systems,” said Mike Grenier, Chair of the Utility Systems Committee and Director of Electoral Area “J” (Copper Desert Country), noting user rates are based on financial needs for each system.
Grenier said the TNRD Board continues to advocate the provincial and federal governments for financial support of these systems.
Customers will be billed the base rate on a quarterly basis, regardless of whether their water is on or off. Base rates fund fixed costs of each water system, and this change in billing will ensure that costs to operate each community water system are more evenly distributed among all customers.
Water service can now be turned on or off at no charge once per year for customers, eliminating a $50 fee each time. This change is to encourage seasonal residents to turn off water in winter for vacant property, as required by bylaw, and follows changes to base rate billing.
The Parcel Tax will rise to $250 annually for each Community Water System and Sewer System, excluding the Paul Lake Community Sewer System, which is funded only by a parcel tax. The Paul Lake Sewer System parcel tax will rise from $862 to $969 per year. A parcel tax is in place for each property within a TNRD water or sewer service area to recover capital and operating costs, and this is the first cost increase since the parcel tax was implemented in 2016.
Specific information for each Utility System will be further communicated to customers in the Spring 2024 Waterworks Newsletter, which will be mailed to all customers in April.