Fort Erie water bills going up, largely due to regional increases
December 5, 2024 at 3:55 AM
The average household in Fort Erie will be paying $136 a year more for water next year.
Councillors approved the water and wastewater operating budget at a December 4 budget meeting. The 7.98 per cent increase works out to $136 at year, or $11.36 a month for a home that uses 16 cubic metres of water a month.
Increasing costs from the Region is driving much of the local increase. Regional treatment costs account for just under two thirds of the Town’s water and wastewater budget, and the Region has approved a 12.27 per cent increase for its 2025 budget.
Mayor Wayne Redekop blamed recent increases at the Region on years of underfunding.
“For years and years and years, the money that was necessary to maintain the longterm infrastructure obligations was not being collected,” he said.
“If we don’t start to collect that money now and start to seriously address the infrastructure needs, it will be the people who are younger than us–our children, our grandchildren–who are going to be picking that up.”
So while Redekop said he and others may not like the numbers, they’re stuck with them.
“We’re trying to create budgets that are providing sustainability for our operations on the one hand. While on the other hand, trying to be affordable for the people that are paying these bills…but we have to make sure our infrastructure is going to serve the residents of today and the residents of the future.”
Beyond those regional costs, wages and benefits are budgeted to go up $235,000 next year, partially the result of the full year phase-in of a water and wastewater supervisor position council previously approved.
Director of Corporate Services Jonathan Janzen did highlight some good news. First, the Town will be receiving a $788,000 credit for wastewater based on actuals coming in lower than what the municipality was charged.
Janzen said they’ve also seen a decrease in the number of watermain breaks, which he called “a testament to some of the capital works we’ve been doing.” Historically, staff would respond to roughly 50 breaks a year. However, in the last three years that number has fluctuated between 25 and 35.
Seniors in Fort Erie will also get a small increase in support. A credit the Town provides to seniors will be increasing from $125 to $140.
Janzen said Fort Erie faces some unique challenges when it comes to its water infrastructure. Namely, those challenges revolve around geography and geology. The relatively low population density within a large geographic area means more pipes serving fewer customers. Bedrock issues also make putting pipes in the ground and maintaining them an added challenge.
All told, the $25.8 million budget will see $15.95 million go to regional treatment, $2.58 million to wages and benefits, $1.87 million to materials and supplies, $5.08 million to reserves and about 327,000 to debt costs.
Janzen said they’re continuing to increase transfers to reserves to address infrastructure gaps, though they’re keeping that increase the same as last year as they plan to release an updated financial strategy in 2025 that could affect reserve transfers going forward.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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