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County ups its fees

Athabasca County’s water, sewer and cemetery plot fees are all on the rise. At their Jan. 25 meeting, council voted unanimously in favour of a motion by Coun. Dwayne Rawson to raise its water and sewage rates.

Athabasca County’s water, sewer and cemetery plot fees are all on the rise.

At their Jan. 25 meeting, council voted unanimously in favour of a motion by Coun. Dwayne Rawson to raise its water and sewage rates. Council also voted unanimously in favour of raising cemetery plot fees on a motion by Coun. Travais Johnson.

Water rates are increasing in Colinton from $3.27 to $3.37 per cubic meter and from $4.32 to $4.71 per cubic meter in Grassland and Wandering River. Residential truck fill water rates are also increasing from $4.40 to $4.71 per cubic meter.

Sewer charges in Rochester are being increased from $16.33 to $18 per month on residential properties and from $32.66 to $36 per month on commercial properties.

Sewer charges on other hamlets are based on a percentage of monthly water billing but based on average residential monthly sewage charges, county administration estimated sewer rates in Colinton would increase from $16.19 to $16.68, in Grassland from $21.38 to $23.31 and in Wandering River from $22.03 to $24.02.

The changes on water and sewer rates are to come into effect April 1 and are based on a county effort to get closer to complete cost recovery for these services.

“We probably won’t reach full cost recovery in 2018 but we’ll be very, very close,” Maier said during the meeting.

Cemetery plot fees are also increasing from $150 to $200 for residents and from $500 to $1,000 for non-residents.

These fee increases are based on recommendations from the county’s Jan. 10 budget and finance committee meeting.

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