North Battleford residents Jane Nielsen, left, and Darryl Williams. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Looking for answers

Residents concerned about high water-sewer charges; want bills separated

Jun 16, 2023 | 3:00 PM

Two North Battleford residents hope to see some clarity in their water-sewer bills from the City.

Jane Nielsen and Darryl Williams spoke at this week’s council meeting about their concerns with high rates, and questioned why the bills aren’t broken down for water and sewer separately.

“It is my opinion, that they should be treated as separate entities, since water consumption and use of the sewer are two distinctly different services,” Nielsen said.

As well, she contends she is being unfairly charged for increased sewer usage, which she says is “unethical.”

“The extra water I use to water my grass isn’t going in the sewer, but you are charging me for it. It’s going in my lawn,” she said. “I am not making use of the sewer at all. So why am I paying for it?”

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Nielsen noted up until 2010 her quarterly utility bill remained virtually unchanged through the course of the billing cycles each year. But now she sees noticeable jumps.

She provided council with copies of her water-sewer bills to reflect the increases from $263.04 in Jan. 2021 to $492.61 in Oct. 2022.

As well, after researching the bylaws, Nielsen questioned why council seemed to have discontinued the Summer Watering Discount program in 2010.

“This City of North Battleford used to afford its residents a summer discount to encourage people to keep their yards green and beautiful,” Nielsen said. “As far as I can ascertain, in 2010 the Summer Watering Discount just disappeared.”

She added that the Town of Battleford has a summer water rate in place to make it easier for residents using extra water in the summer.

Williams said the City indicates there is a minimum charge for a homeowner for any three-month period for water usage.

“If you are well under that minimum charge, that’s just what it cost for the City to provide [the service],” he said.

However, in the summer months when it exceeds that when people are watering their lawn, he said, the sewer is not being used. But residents are still billed for it.

“A portion is going down the sewer, but it is very minimal,” Williams said. “That would be the water usage in the house…But the mass of it is not being utilized in the sewer.”

He said it’s hard for retirees, especially, trying to stay in their home when they suddenly get $400 or $500 water bills, when they used to receive $300 water bills.

“I know the City received several complaints like that,” Williams said. “We are not the only ones that are aware of the situation, as far as feeling that. We’re asking the city to review what their policy is with regard to this, take a look at it from the taxpayers’ perspective, and say: ‘Is there a way we can make this situation more tolerable to the property owners?'”

Coun. Kelli Hawtin said ever since she has been on council, sewer rates have always been tied to water consumption, because the City can’t currently meter sewer. If the city were to start metering sewer, it would involve a significant infrastructure cost to put that in place.

Hawtin also noted residents can sign up for the City’s Water Installment Payment Plan Service (W.I.P.P.S.) program as an option, so they won’t see “spikes, and ebbs and flows in their monthly amounts.” WIPPS uses property owner’s previous year’s billing and averages it into monthly payments.

Mayor David Gillan said he couldn’t comment on what the Town of Battleford offers, but he notes there are many complexities involved in looking at the City of North Batteford’s rate structures.

He advised the delegation that City administration will follow up on their issues, and try to give them some answers.

“We’ll see if there is something we can do,” Gillan said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow