Your water bill could be going up next year in Muskoka.
District officials are suggesting a 2.5 per cent increase in monthly costs for water and sewage. If your house is valued at $200,000 you could see about $48 added to your bill for the year. Commissioner of Finance Julie Steven says they want to take the opportunity to put more money into the reserve that helps pay for rehabilitation and replacement of water and sewage infrastructure. She says an increase in the transportation cost to get rid of biosolid waste from the sewage is also pushing the bill. Stevens explains biosolids are the byproduct of sewage water that’s been treated.
But, Muskokans are saving money on garbage collection. A new contract for solid waste disposal is dropping your yearly cost for curbside pick-up by about 4.7 per cent. That’s just over four dollars on a $200,000 home.
These changes to water and solid waste costs will be reviewed one last time by district council on December 18th before they’re adopted for the new year. You can find all the details about that meeting and more about the rate-supported budget here.