Municipal officials have pulled the plug on a new water billing system that had been slated to be rolled out this year.
The proposed District of Squamish billing method was comprised of a fixed rate and a variable rate. It assumed a flat fee that all users pay and an additional charge based on the size of water connections to homes or businesses.
On Tuesday (March 26), council passed a 15 per cent water utility rate increase, which is part of a plan to cover future infrastructure costs. Implemented in 2011, the bump will push water and sewer revenues up by 65 per cent over five years, tapping out in 2015.
The billing system came up against a stream of criticism by council members at a regular meeting in February. The change wasn't more equitable than the current billing arrangement, Coun. Susan Chapelle said. It doesn't account for the actual amount of water used and operates on the assumption that if there's a bigger water connection, more water will be consumed, she said.
Logistics caused municipal staff to withdraw the plan until 2014. Pipe sizes needed to be determined for approximately 135 properties, said Jenni Chancey, the district's director of municipal infrastructure. This presented challenges for the system to be implemented this year, she said at a council meeting on March 19.
Approximately 42 customers would see a significant increase in their bills as a result of the change, Chancey said, noting officials wanted more time to engage with them before sending the parties a new bill.
The additional information puts the revenue figures into question, Chancey said. Staff are not certain that the new structure will have a net zero effect.
While the proposed system is a step forward, Chapelle said, she doesn't want it to take away from time and resources that could be put toward a water metering program for the entire community.
Staff isn't recommending residential water metering at this time, but it's something officials can look at as they examine implementing the revised billing system, Chancey said.
