The Regional District of Nanaimo has set the rates for the Bowser sewer services.
The sanitary sewer services rates and regulations bylaw was presented by director of water and wastewater services, Sean De Pol at the RDN’s committee of the whole meeting on July 10.
The committee voted to recommend to the RDN board the Bowser Village Sanitary Sewer Service Rates and Regulations Bylaw No. 1773, 2018 be given three readings and adopted .
The new bylaw, De Pol indicated, will provide property owners how much they would have to pay for the sewer services annually, and also to formalize the regulatory structure of the service area for future property developments.
The sewer service area was established December 12, 2017 that paved the way for the $10.7 million Bowser Sewer Project to move forward. Only 99 parcel owners located in the village centre will benefit from the services.
Once the sewage system is in place and fully functioning, its operation and maintenance costs, De Pol indicated, will be recovered through annual parcel tax and user fee, estimated to be around $150,000 per year. All properties within the service area are expected to pay around $505 per parcel annually.
The user rates set in the proposed bylaw will vary by catergory of use. For single family dwellings, the cost is $879 per year. When added to the proposed annual operation and maintenance parcel tax of $505 per parcel, the total cost for single family dwellings will be $1,384.
When connection is made to the sewer system, parcels will be required to pay a $300 connection fee to cover costs for RDN staff to connect the property.
In areas where a gravity sewer connection is not possible, the RDN will provide property owners with an on-site grinder pump unit.
Staff indicated that property owners will be responsible for all other on-site costs required to move sewage from any building on the property to the service connection at the property line, including permitting fees, installation and maintenance of a pump, if required, and decommissioning of septic tanks.
Under the proposed new sewer regulations bylaw, an owner of a parcel within the service area that is capable of connection must do so or cause any building on the property to be connected to the community sewer system by means of a service connection and building sewer.
The operating and maintenance costs are expected to increase with inflation by three per cent annually.
All the costs and rates will be reviewed and revised annually to account for inflation, new development, and changes in operation and maintenance.