At Perth council’s recent committee meeting, staff presented a 10-year financial plan for the Town’s water treatment system. Provincial regulations call for a mandatory 6-year plan to be filed in order to renew operations’ licensing, but staff opted for a 10-year forecast to match asset management planning.
That document recommended 8% increases in water/sewer billing over the time-span.
Councillor Jim Boldt didn’t think that figure would be acceptable to many residents.
Town Director Grant Machan noted that future water rates were not being set by accepting the plan, but cautioned that regardless of the number of users, operating costs continue.
The town recently bumped billings by 6% for the 2026 year and provincial regulations require that all municipal water systems be self-sustaining through user fees.
Story by Brian Turner