File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Aaron Schulze

TNRD Rates

Utility user fees increasing for TNRD residents in 2024

Mar 8, 2024 | 7:04 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Thompson Nicola Regional District’s (TNRD) board of directors approved utility user fee increases between 2024 and 2028.

In a news release issued Thursday (March 7), the TNRD says the changes will come into effect in the second quarter of 2024 and will be reflected in bills sent to residents in July.

The regional district says the updates to the TNRD Utility Rates Bylaw is to ensure the sustainability of its Community Water and Sewer Systems.

“Maintaining tiny utility systems with very small tax bases is a challenge for regional districts, since rural utility systems do not have the same economy of scale benefits as larger, municipal water systems. The TNRD Board continues to advocate to the Province of B.C. and Government of Canada for financial support of these systems,” Mike Grenier, TNRD utility systems committee chair and Electoral Area “J” (Copper Desert Country) director says. “User rates are based on financial needs for each system. Meeting financial targets will ensure funds are available for maintenance of existing equipment and to leverage grant funding for future capital costs of each system.”

User fee increases in 2024 will vary for each system, based on direction provided by members of the utility services committee. But the TNRD says the estimated average annual user fees will range from between $777 and $1,757 for various water and sewer systems.

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Customers will be billed the base rate on a quarterly basis, regardless of whether their water is on or off,” the TNRD states. “Base rates fund fixed costs of each water system, and this change in billing will ensure that costs to operate each community water system are more evenly distributed among all customers.”

Water service can now be turned on or off at no charge once per year for customers, eliminating a $50 fee each time. The TNRD says it’s to encourage seasonal residents to turn off water in winter for vacant property, as required by bylaw.

More information for TNRD residents can be found here.