Water and sewer rates will increase by 5% on September 1st as part of a multi-year increase strategy.
Bulk water rates to Beaver Creek, Tseshaht, Hupacasath and industrial partners rose 10% but according to Mayor Sharie Minions, are still considerably cheaper than what city residents pay.
“Currently we have some bulk service agreements for water that we sell to areas like Beaver Creek that we actually sell for a rate than is cheaper than the water than we sell to city residents, so that’s been an issue for a long time that has been brought up several times,” she said. “Council today started a formal conversation about how to equalize that as we just don’t feel that we should be selling water at a rate to our residents which is more than we sell to residents outside the city of Port Alberni.”
City residents will pay 71 cents per cubic metre of water, but those with bulk water agreements pay only 55 cents – a 30% difference.
Council asked city staff to come back with information so they can discuss a ‘cost plus’ plan that would see residents outside the city paying more.
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