Water and sewer rates will bump up in Port Coquitlam this year.
Tuesday, city council gave three readings to the utility bylaws that, if adopted by council next month, will see water fees rise by 4.05%.
That translates to an additional $17.42 — to $448.05 — for owners of single-family homes and secondary suite tenants; for townhouse and condo owners, it’s a $16.32 and $15.51 hike, to $419.72 and $398.74 respectively.
Commercial property owners will also face a 4.05% increase, it is proposed.
Meanwhile, sewer costs will also up go up a bit, by 0.82%, for all residential and commercial properties.
That means an extra $2.71 — to $332.43 — for detached home owners and secondary suite tenants, and $2.54 and $2.41 for townhouse and apartment dwellers to bring the bills at $311.78 and $295.49, respectively.
The primary reason for the lifts is to pay for the extra Metro Vancouver charges for bulk water and sanitary sewer discharge.
The regional authority is predicting utility increases of more than 6% within the next five years, which the city of PoCo plans to offset with its rate stabilization funds.
As of last month, PoCo’s water reserve had about $1 million while the sewer reserve held about $325,000, according to a city staff report.
Utility bills will go out next month, with payments due by March 31.
Seniors’ discounts are also available. Last year, the city saw a 16% uptick in the number of properties claiming the relief, which cost the city $110,347 for the 145 applications.
In December, the city of Coquitlam approved an average rate increase of about 2% for water fees and 5% for sewer and drainage.
