It’s official. Water, sewer and waste management user fees for Osoyoos and area residents are going up marginally once again in 2016.
Last week, Town of Osoyoos council approved raising water, sewer, wastewater and waste management user fees in 2016.
The garbage-recycling fee rate increase will be $2.49 for a single family residence, increasing the yearly total to $126.93. The other rate change is increasing the garbage tag rate from $2.25 to $2.30. Council has also approved a $20 increase in water district rates. The $20 increase to water user fees for domestic use will see rates in the district climb to $384 for a single-family residence.
There will also be a 5.49 increase to the other water district user fees and a two per cent increase to parcel irrigation fees. The increase in rates are expected to raise an additional $18,100 in revenues for the town.
There will be a $6.86 increase to sewer user fees for a single family residence in Osoyoos in 2016, with a 2.97 per cent increase in other sewer user fees. The 2016 rate for a single family residence will be $237.87 in town and $330.87 in the rural area.
The increase in rates is expected to raise an additional $37,800 in revenues, all of which will be used for sewer capital projects this year. The funding available for capital projects will be $454,000, down from $455,000 last year.
Council has also approved a $20 increase to water user fees for a single family residence within town limits. There will be a 6.37 per cent increase to all other water user fees.
The 2016 rate for a single family residence will be $334, compared to $381 for residents in the Town of Oliver. The increase is expected to raise an additional $89,000 in revenues, which will go towards water capital projects in 2016. The town has budgeted to spend $488,000 on water capital projects in 2016, compared to $559,000 last year.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
