South Bruce Peninsula council just can't get away from the water rates issue.

At Tuesday's Council meeting -- it was a Wiarton resident stepping forward challenging the metered rates in the town.

David Madill says he and his wife are raising four children and they've done quite a bit of work at their house to cut household costs but when water and sewer costs are factored in, their bills have still gone up by 50 per cent.

Madill says his concern is the impact of the current structure on households with more than four people in the residence.

He says there could be significant social impact on families and businesses if they're water bills are out of sight and council needs to address it.

Madill says they've done everything they can to reduce costs without next, compromising their standard of living.

He says there has to be a more fair way of sharing the cost.

Right now, Wiarton residents pay 92-cents per cubic meter of water used up to 18 cubic meters, which is the provincial average use.

After that level, the rate skyrockets to five-dollars per cubic meter.

Several councillors are already on record as opposing the punitive nature of the rates and have agreed to look into the structure further--much like their doing for Sauble Beach residents--who are on a flat rate until the end of the year.

It's not just private citizens feeling the pinch.

The Gateway Haven long-term care home in Wiarton has reportedly seen it's 14 hundred dollar water and sewer bill per month, climb to 59 hundred dollars.