County of Grande Prairie residents can expect to see a bump in their utility bills come next month.
According to the county, as of March 1st, Clairmont residents connected to Aquatera will see a water rate increase of 7.1 per cent and a wastewater increase of 6.8 per cent, while residents outside of Clairmont will see the same water increase, but a 6.7 per cent increase for wastewater.
County Reeve Bob Marshall says the increases can be credited in large part to inflationary pressures on Aquatera and the county alike. He says rising costs in labour, chemicals, and power generation have left the utility service in a “pinch,” leading to higher costs for the consumer.
“We’re all seeing those pinches and as a corporation, they’re feeling that as well, so unfortunately those get passed on to the users,” he says.
Despite the increase, Marshall says plans are in place to soften the blow for Aquatera customers. The Reeve says the county has committed $525,000 per year in Aquatera dividends from 2022 to 2027.
“We want to try to minimize that as much to our ratepayers,” he says. “Basically, we’re giving it back to our users within the county that are using Aquatera.”
Marshall says consumers will not see a “net-zero” impact on their bills thanks to the commitment; however, he says users will not see the “full impact” of the costs between 2022 and 2027.
