Homeowners in Port Coquitlam will get their utility bills in the mail next week.
The city will send out the notices next Wednesday that will show a $19 increase in water fees, to $387, and another $9 for sewage, to $289.
In Coquitlam, the city is scheduled to have its utility bills in the mail on Feb. 28, indicating an extra $50 for water, sewer and garbage pickup. Water rates for a single-family home will be going up by $23, to $407, while sewer levies will jump by $11, to $358, and solid-waste charges will go up by $16, to $342.
And in Port Moody, where utility bills were sent out Jan. 27, homeowners will pay another $9 for water in 2012, to $356, $1 more for sewer, to $334, $30 less for garbage pick-up, to $153, and an additional $51 for recycling collection, to $170 (Port Moody residents can get a 5% discount on their utilities if they pay in full by 5 p.m. on Feb. 29).
Coquitlam treasurer Sheena MacLeod wrote in an email utility costs vary between municipalities because "we all have slightly different costs related to our specific areas. A significant portion of the costs come from Metro Vancouver, which is the same for every jurisdiction."
"About half is the city's cost for distribution. Coquitlam is quite hilly and therefore has greater distribution costs associated with pumping up hill," she said.
Metro Vancouver, which oversees water and sewage, has a capital program estimated to total $2.3 billion over the next 10 years, meaning water and sewer charges are not likely to go down anytime soon. In fact, water alone is estimated to rise 8% a year over the next five years.
The utilities payment deadline is April 2 while property taxes are due in early July and, unlike utility notices, cannot be paid with a credit card.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
