Coquitlam homeowners got a dreaded piece of mail from the city this week: the annual utility bill.
And the numbers aren't pretty.
Water rates for single- and multi-family homeowners jumped 7% over last year, to $384, while sewer fees rose 4%, to $387. As well, garbage/recycling levies are now $326 - an 8% difference over 2010 - for occupants in single-family homes.
Coquitlam's budget manager, Arlene Uy, said the hike in water rates is because the cost of buying water from the Greater Vancouver Water District is set to rise 14% this year, making up 60% of the water budget.
"This increase is mitigated by the city inflation of 4% and a reduction in the volume of water purchased due to the city's water-conservation program, resulting in the 7% increase in water rate," she wrote in an email to The Tri-City News yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Greater Vancouver Sewer and Drainage levy also is expected to go up by 6% this year, Uy said, making up 45% of the sewer budget. "The sewer rate increase includes city inflation of 4% as well as the GVS&DD levy increase."
In the garbage department, the increase includes the 18% tipping fee hike, the 4% city inflation and a contractual increase for Smithrite of 5%, she said.
In Port Coquitlam, the city sent out utility bills on Feb. 10, showing the following breakdowns:
• single-family: water $368, sewer $280
• apartment: water $328, sewer $249
• townhouse: water $345, sewer $263
• duplex, triplex, fourplex: water $368, sewer $280
But there's a flat rate for garbage/recycling at $176.30, said Brian North, PoCo's manager of revenues and collections.
Utility bills in Port Moody went out in January, with 2011 rates as follows: $347 for water, $333 for sewer and $183 for garbage.
The recycling rate for single-family households is $119 while, at multi-family units with green waste pick-up, it's $70; for multi-family households without green waste pick-up, it's $53, said city spokesperson Leslyn Johnson.
Homeowners have until March 31 to pay their bills or be fined 5%.
