Water and Sewer

[timc]

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.