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MD updates fees for providing water, sewer, and landfill services

The MD of Bonnyville has updated fees and rates associated with water and sewer services as well as the cost to discard most items at MD landfills, following amendments to the Master Rates Bylaw passed by council on Feb. 14.
An MD of Bonnyville garbage truck picks up garbage from the Chatwin Lake waste transfer site on Feb. 22. Notices posted by the MD at the site indicate it will be temporarily
An MD of Bonnyville garbage truck picks up garbage from the Chatwin Lake waste transfer site. File photo

BONNYVILLE – Changes to the MD of Bonnyville’s Master Rates Bylaw will see residents paying more for things like water, sewage, and waste brought to landfills. 

Council gave final reading to the amended Master Rates Bylaw on Feb. 14. The revised bylaw includes changes to sections involving transportation, waste and resource recovery, and water and sewer.  

“Several rates and fees were adjusted as a result of council’s approval of the 2023 Operating Budget on Nov. 23, 2022. This report is presented to adopt Amending Bylaw No. 1833 to reflect these adjustments,” Susan Walker, the general manager of corporate services, told council. 

The fee adjustments included in the municipality's Master Rates Bylaw will increase the cost of water and sewer, as well as the disposal of non-residential waste. 

Council voted unanimously in favour of the amended Master Rates Bylaw as presented by administration. 

Water and Sewer 

Rates for the Ardmore and Fort Kent Water and Sewer System, as well as the Therien Sewer System have seen significant updates in the amended Master Rates Bylaw. 

The monthly Water Service Fee, previously known as the Flat Water Rate, has been increased from $5 a month per account holder to $10 a month. 

The water consumption rate is now $3.27 per cubic metre. Residents were previously able to get up to 20m3 for $84 bi-monthly. Once water usage surpassed 20m3, users were charged $3.70 per cubic metre. 

A new Sewer Service Fee has been introduced and will charge residents connected to MD sewage lines $10 per month per account holder, plus $1.03 per cubic metre for the Sewer Consumption Rate. The sewer consumption rate will be calculated based on water consumption volume. 

Households and businesses serviced with sewer only will see a jump in costs, as they will now be paying $30 per month. The municipality previously charged $35 bi-monthly for premises tied only into sewage. 

Residents seeking Bulk Water Service will see a $0.50 increase per cubic metre of water and a $5 jump in their monthly bulk water service fees for each account. The bulk water rate now sits at $5.50 per cubic metre and bulk raw water will no longer be available. 

Landfill cost recovery 

Previously identified as the “Waste Rate,” Landfill Tipping Fees will be calculated by multiplying the load fee by the waste rate. 

While the load fees have remained unchanged, the waste rate has increased for nearly all materials brought to an MD landfill. The waste rate for items considered clean burnables, such as trees and wood, for example, has increased from $0.75 to $1.25. 

Mixed waste, demolition waste, concrete and insulation has increased from $2 to $3. Shingles, tires, metal and cardboard have increased from $1 to $1.50. 

When it comes to the new intermunicipal agreement between the City of Cold Lake and the MD of Bonnyville, which allows MD residents to bring their household waste to the Cold Lake landfill with an access card, recovery costs for chargeable waste not covered by the agreement were added to the Master Rates Bylaw. 

MD residents bringing non-household waste items, items considered chargeable, to the Cold Lake landfill will not be able to pay at the landfill, but will be invoiced for those costs through the MD. 

Those residents will be responsible for the actual cost charged to the municipality for the waste, plus a 10 per cent administration fee, and the updated bylaw will also allow for unpaid waste utility invoices to be transferred to a property’s tax roll account, according to the amended Master Rates Bylaw.

RELATED STORY: New agreement allows MD residents to use Cold Lake landfill 

Transportation amendments 

Under the transportation section of the bylaw, cemeteries were added to the list of community organizations that will not be charged for grader services such as snowplowing and driveway grading.  

An additional clause was also added in the same section allowing for the inclusion of other community organizations approved by council to receive grading services at no charge.  

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