Fresh bylaws passed by city council in December will affect the utility bills of Rupert residents over the next four years.
The Water Works Bylaw, Collection and Disposal of Solid Wastes Bylaw, and the Sanitary and Storm Sewer Utility Management Bylaw have undergone changes to their language, rules, and fee structures.
Deputy City Manager Richard Pucci states bylaw fees expire every four to five years and municipal governments must establish new fee structures before January.
"As of this December, the old bylaw, with its fees, would not be valid anymore. So that's the reason why it was redone," said Pucci.
Water Works Bylaw
In 2024, the water utility fee for a residential house was $562.87. This amount is projected to increase to $596.64 in 2025, $632.44 in 2026, $670.39 in 2027, and $710.61 in 2028. This represents a 4.5 and five per cent increases, more than double the rise residents experienced in 2024.
"The reason for that is just the amount of infrastructure works that we need to do on the water system, as well as, prepping for water treatment within the coming years," added Pucci.
For someone to hook up a new house to the water system, they must pay a fee of $4,500. In 2024, the cost for the same service was approximately $2,600.
To temporarily turn the water service off and on in a home, residents must pay approximately $50 starting in 2025. This service can be helpful in situations such as when a house is unoccupied for an extended period, such as during family trips abroad.
Collection and Disposal of Solid Wastes Bylaw
The city collected $538.97 per residential dwelling for solid waste in 2024. This fee will increase by 6 per cent throughout the period of the bylaw. Homeowners will pay $571.31, $605.59, $641.93, and $680.45.
"Any changes in the solid waste bylaw reflect more in the liquid waste intake," said Pucci.
The city has a new facility for liquid waste disposal, specifically for septic and human waste in liquid form at the landfill.
The Liquid Waste Fee is growing from $75.50 to $80.00 per tonne.
The city will keep the minimum tipping fees for liquid waste disposal at $10 for the next four years. Although this fee has increased by 6 per cent in the past, council has opted to maintain a flat rate. A tipping fee is linked to the minimum weight charges at the landfill.
The city also revised the regulations to permit waste haulers to dispose of mixed loads. Previously, waste disposal companies needed to make separate trips to collect and drop off liquid and solid waste. With this change, some unnecessary trips will be eliminated.
Sanitary and Storm Sewer Utility Management Bylaw
This bylaw covers costs and operations for managing sewer systems and stormwater utilities.
A residential dwelling currently pays $529.32 in sewer and stormwater utility fees, which will increase by 16 percent each year. The charges are expected to rise significantly, reaching $614.01 in 2025, $712.25 in 2026, $826.21 in 2027, and $958.40 in 2028.
Additionally, sewer and stormwater service connection fees will increase from $2,782 in 2024 to $4,500 in 2025, and this amount will remain the same for the duration of the bylaw.
The cost of installing inspection chambers will rise from $658 to $1,500.
There will be a slight increase in the fees for sewer-related callouts.
Pucci said, however, that there could be relief on some of these new fees.
"I think one of the things that was said in my reports is that staff really understand the crunch of the community and council's will to want to just reduce the amount of burden on the residents, and that these are best estimates," he said.
"So we have to put these in place knowing that this is set. Now, they can get better. So if we find that our revenues are better, we find new revenue streams, we find other opportunities for money, then we can change these for the better. They're not going to get worse. They'll only get better."
In addition to fees, the bylaws also cover terms, rules, and consequences for violations, such as penalty fines, which have also been modified. The full bylaw and schedules can be found on the city's website.
