Durham Regional Council yesterday announced it has approved the 2023 water supply and sanitary sewer user rates, with a combined increase of 4.3 per cent, an estimated annual increase of $45.92 for the average residential customer.
A region statement said in addition to ongoing maintenance and operation of the water supply and sanitary sewerage systems, Durham Region has several major projects planned for 2023 including:
- Planning, detailed design and construction of 24.1 kilometres of watermain and sanitary sewer projects.
- Multi-year expansion and upgrades to the Whitby Water Supply Plant.
- Replacement and rehabilitation work at Michael Blvd., Hanover Court (Whitby) and Simcoe St. (Oshawa) Sanitary Sewage Pumping Stations.
- Asset Refurbishment at Lake Simcoe (Beaverton) and Duffin Creek (Pickering) water pollution control plants.
- A new facility, Liberty Street Zone 1 Reservoir and water pumping station (Bowmanville).
- Year two of a three-year project to retrofit existing water meters with radio frequency remote reading devices to minimize manual meter readings.
The approved user rates cover net costs related to system operation and capital projects that focus on aged asset replacement. The approved user rates will take effect on January 1, 2023, the statement said.
It did not refer to inflation.
Continued investment in an aging municipal water system is required to protect public health and the water environment to meet obligations under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Ontario Water Resources Act, said the statement.
“No other service has a greater impact on our everyday life than safe drinking water and the protection of our water environment. The continued investment in infrastructure for this important resource ensures we continue to deliver and maintain safe, reliable, and financially sustainable services for our residents,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO.
Information about Durham Region’s water and sanitary sewer system is available at durham.ca/WaterandSewer.