Property owners in Owen Sound will see a substantial hike in their water and sewer rates.
City council approved an increase Monday night ranging from just under 8 percent (7.75) for homeowners to 15 percent (15.49) for industries.
Commercial businesses will see an increase of 13 percent (13.11).
The higher rates, which will be back-dated to May 1, are intended to provide funds for capital works at the city’s water treatment plant.
Sewage treatment upgrades valued at 4 million dollars were done last year, and millions of dollars worth of work must be done to underground infrastructure for both the water and sewage systems.
Revenues in the last two years have also not been what the city has expected, due in part to conservation but also because of the weak economy, the loss of PPG and the fact that last summer was wet and not very hot.
For homeowners, the average annual rate will increase from 850 dollars to 915.
It amounts to a weekly jump of $1.27, from $16.34 to $17.61.
For commercial businesses, the average annual rate will go from 10,940 dollars to 12,375.
That’s a weekly increase of $27.58, from $210.39 to $237.97.
For industries, the average annual rate climbs from 159,518 to 184,235.
The weekly increase is $475.33, from $3067.67 to $3,543.
Despite these increases, Ritchie says the rates for everyone in Owen Sound are “average” or lower than average compared with other places locally and elsewhere in Ontario.