By Liam Verster

Wastewater rates

County to subsidize wastewater rates in Clairmont

Feb 26, 2020 | 2:20 PM

The County of Grande Prairie will be subsidizing the wastewater rates in the Hamlet of Clairmont, to the tune of $200,000.

New infrastructure installed in Clairmont has caused an increase to rates, and on Monday, County Council voted if favour of offering some support to residents and businesses.

The new infrastructure was installed two years ago, according to Reeve Leanne Beaupre, and since then the County has been helping subsidize the rates, and pay off the cost of the wastewater treatment infrastructure.

“Over the last couple of years, the County of Grande Prairie has chose to subsidize the rates in the Hamlet of Clairmont, to reflect a graduated amount, to get the Hamlet of Clairmont up to the rate amount that Aquaterra has suggested would be cost recovery for the infrastructure they have put in place.”

She says leaving the residents and businesses to pay for the infrastructure through an inflated rate was unfair.

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“The difference between what the residents had been paying, and what they would be paying, based on the new infrastructure, was more than Council felt they would be able to accept, as far as rate increases. So this way, with the subsidy that comes from money that’s collected through our franchise fees, we are able to soften that blow, and bring that difference closer together for those individuals.”

Without the subsidy, residents would be paying an average of $58.35 a month for 16 cubic metres of wastewater, but this subsidy drops the rate by $3, to $55.35 for residents.

The subsidy also drops the monthly rates for businesses like car washes ($6,720.71 to $6,375.60), hotels ($3,341.82 to $3,170.21), and industrial shops ($2,310.49 to $2,191.79).

Beaupre says Clairmont has the highest rates for wastewater, and this subsidy will help bring them in line with the rest of the County.

“We felt it was very onerous on those individuals to bear the cost that was reflected in the rate. So we have the opportunity as Council to make those decisions of whether we can subsidize rates or not.

“The shareholders set the rates based on the recommendations from Aquaterra and their business and operating plans. And this way, this help mitigate some of the differential rates between wastewater throughout the County, to make the rates more palatable and affordable for everybody in that service area.”

Beaupre adds that it should take another two or three years to fully pay off the infrastructure, and expects the County to have some role in subsidizing rates again in the future.

The $200,000 for the subsidization is coming from the County’s Community Investment Reserve.