Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

Clearview Township council is banking on development to help pay for water and sewer services.
Residents with those services will see a slight increase in their bills next year.
While the fixed portion of the bill will remain at $163 per year but the volumetric rate will increase from $1.94 to $1.99 per cubic metre.
Rates will continue to increase each year with the fixed rate at $169 by 2025 and the variable portion at $2.45 per cubic metre. The wastewater rate will also go up in 2015.
Clearview council approved the new rates based on the Drinking Water and Wastewater System Rate Report prepared by Sharratt Water Management Ltd. dated August 22, an 11-year water and sewer rate report.
“The rate study takes into account everything that we do,” said Mike Rawn, general manager of environmental services for Clearview Township. “It’s capital replacement – we have dome pipes that are 100 years old – and equipment maintenance.”
“The township has undertaken this project to prepare water rates, which will ensure that sufficient funds will be in place to cover the future water system operating costs, water and wastewater system lifecycle asset renewal and replacement costs. It will also provide the basis for the preparation and submission of a water system financial plan,” states the report.
The updated water rate study and financial plan are required to renew Clearview Township’s water licence, which is up for renewal in January 2015.
Council decided to go with the rates based on a full population projection of 18,750 by 2024, as calculated in last year’s development charge background study.
“A user taking 70 cubic metres per year is projected to pay $301 in 2015, or $4 more per year compared to what was paid in 2014,” states the report. “The bill will be $324 in 2019, and $338 in 2025. Someone using 125 cubic metres per year will pay $410 in 2015, or $4 more than 2014, $447 in 2019, and $472 in 2025. A user of 300 cubic metres per year will pay a water bill of $758 in 2015, or $13 more than 2014, $837 in 2019, and $896 in 2025. An average user has been included in the table as average use is declining over time. The average user of 293 cubic metres per year will pay $735 in 2015 or $3 more than in 2014, will take 261 cubic metres in 2019 and pay $750, and is projected to take 233 cubic metres per year in 2025 and pay $734. Water use by the average user in all systems is expected to decline during 2015 to 2025.”
Ken Sharratt told council members water use is declining due to water efficient fixtures.
The majority of the growth is slated for Stayner, Creemore and New Lowell.
Had council gone with rates based on half of the projected growth rates being realized, the fixed portion would go up $10 in 2015. The rates will be reevaluated on an annual basis. Sharratt recommends the rates be increased if the projected growth is not realized in the next few years.

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