Water rates are going up for Shellbrook residents. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

building and maintaining infrastructure

Shellbrook residents to see fee increases

Feb 13, 2020 | 12:03 PM

Residents in the Town of Shellbrook will pay more for water starting this month.

Residents will pay $35.82 per month plus a consumption rate of $0.125 per 100 gallons. This is an increase from $35.12 and $0.120 in 2019.

Rural residents who use the town’s water will be paying $46.56 a month plus a consumption rate of $0.162 per 100 gallons. This is an increase from $45.65 and $0.156 last year.

These increases are part of the town’s water bylaw passed in 2019 which continues rate increases until 2023.

Shellbrook’s Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Hoare said the surplus gained from the new costs will go toward related projects.

Sentencing adjourned

Sentencing decision reserved for La Ronge manslaughter case

4h ago

Missing persons

11-year-old girl reported missing

5h ago

BDO Debt Solutions

Addressing the Rising Cost of Living in Saskatchewan: A Guide for Residents Facing Financial Pressure

6h ago

“We have to do some major upgrades to our water plant, that are going to cost around $6 million, so we needed to increase our rates over time to accommodate for that,” she said.

The upgrades to the water treatment plant are required needed for a few reasons. Hoare said recent changes to provincial regulations require upgrades to equipment. She said the work will result in better quality water.

“Not only access to more potable water as the town grows of course, but also to soften so that people don’t have to soften it so much. We’re looking at blended RO [Reverse Osmosis] systems,” she said.

Hoare said the town’s water supply is currently quite hard which makes it harder on fixtures and plumbing. She said the plan is to apply for infrastructure grants to get work started soon.

“We’re hoping in the next couple years,” she said.

—

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn