Two letters regarding water found their way to the desk of Tay Township council members, and generated enough of a wave that support was given to them both.
The first was a correspondence from Loyalist Township regarding the affordability of water and wastewater rates.
A municipal comparative study in 2023, representing 121 Ontario municipalities (approximately 88 per cent of the population), noted in its comparison of water and sewer costs that, as a percentage of household income, the average of residential water/wastewater was at 1.1 per cent for municipalities, with a median of 1.0 per cent.
In the study, Tay Township listed as 1.3 per cent (average household income of $101,000; annual cost at 200 cubic-metres of $1,350), and Tiny Township at 0.8 per cent (average household income of $113,000; annual cost at 200 cubic-metres of $950).
That study was mentioned in a Renfrew County council meeting in January, where Coun. Neil Nicholson (Mayor of Whitewater Region) noted that the further east in Ontario, the higher that number as per his own area’s 3-to-4 per cent difference. He stated that Renfrew County “disproportionately pays for these types of our services.”
The Loyalist letter pointed out the unaffordability of rural and small urban water and wastewater systems where smaller rural municipalities would be responsible for several treatment facilities.
In the Tay council meeting, Coun. Paul Raymond pulled the item for discussion with hopes that council would support the Loyalist request for provincial and federal assistance programs to help fund drinking water and wastewater systems.
“It’s sort of a question on whether the government should start kicking in some cash back to the small municipalities,” explained Raymond; Tay’s population in the 2021 Census was listed at just over 11,000 residents.
His second request was for a March letter from Goderich regarding the potential phasing out of free testing for private drinking water wells as per the 2023 auditor general’s report, asking that the province not proceed in that direction.
Said Raymond: “In a related twist, apparently the province is looking at phasing out the free water well testing. So when I look at all our rural residents – and the quote is somewhere around $150 they’re going to have to start paying if the government goes ahead with this – well, I see a lot of people not paying $150, and we’re going to end up back in a sort-of Walkerton scenario down the road. It’s just… I think they should be keeping that.”
Opened for discussion, Deputy Mayor Barry Norris dismissed the disproportion of water/wastewater rate support letter from Loyalist as “a waste of time” and “a pipe dream”, saying, “we’re lucky to get funding even for the construction.”
Norris opted said he would support the Goderich letter, however, as 2024 drinking water intakes were a cancelled lab item due to reduced annual lab load allocations at a recent Severn Sound Environmental Association meeting.
The motions were provided to council, with the majority voting to support both resolutions.
The letters of resolution from Loyalist Township and the Town of Goderich can be found in the agenda page on the Tay Township website.
The 2023 municipal comparative study by BMA Management Consulting Inc. is available on the annual municipal reporting page of the Tiny Township website.
Tay council meets for committee of the whole meetings every second Wednesday of the month, and regular council meetings every fourth Wednesday of the month. Archives and livestreams of council meetings are available through the Tay Township YouTube channel.
