Water and Sewer

[LocalEngineer]

In Woolwich (where we resided until recently), the water/sewer rates are actually  heavily regressive, with a single price per cubic metre, but with a heavy reserve charge.  The water rates are about 15% below Kitchener, but the reserve charges are substantial (a total of $26/month).  We are not low income, but we are low consumption (no swimming pool, no lawn watering etc) and frequently the reserve charges were about the same as the consumption charges, meaning the cost per cubic metre is far higher at low consumption levels.

It looks like Kitchener has no reserve or service charge?  (I haven't seen our first bill yet, and can't remember from the last time we lived in Kitchener.)

That kind of pricing makes sense to me. A lot of the infrastructure costs are going to be the same regardless of consumption levels. If the billing is based purely on consumption, then you run into the situation that we have where people feel that they are being punished for conservation. More conservation means less water is used, reducing revenue, which means that rates need to go up to pay for fixed costs.

From this year's water report:

Section 2.5.2

As the Region's Water Efficiency Master Plan (WEMP) is implemented and other factors remain the same, future maximum and average day per capita water are expected to decline from current levels, thereby resulting in a decline in future demand projections. Mandatory water efficient fixture installation in new residential development required as of 1996 by the Ontario Building Code also reduced the water needs of future developments.

Page 11: 

Consumption in 2015 was below the 5-year average.

The fun is shown on the INTEGRATED URBAN SYSTEM (IUS) ANNUAL FLOWS AND COMMITMENTS figure (page 53/73 of the PDF), attached. The actual measured average flows have remained pretty steady over the last 15 years ... and you can't tell me our population hasn't grown


http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/aboutT...Report.pdf