Water rates in Niverville will increase July 1st. Mayor Myron Dyck says the Public Utilities Board has approved increases of about 20 per cent.

Niverville water treatment plant"So, overall, what we're looking at for an increase on a water bill is roughly $20. That would go to $5.86 on your fixed costs and then, based on usage, we could expect about another $14-15 increase there for about a $20 increase on the water bill. That is quarterly. Again, if our average bill is around $100, it would go to about $120."

Dyck notes this increase covers the past five years so the increase works out to about $4.00 per year. He adds, to avoid this kind of five year sticker shock in the future, Niverville also received permission from the Public Utilities Board for increases of 2-3 per cent in both 2017 and 2018. Dyck says, by law, utilities like water and sewer must be completely self sustaining.

"So utilities, whether they be water or whether they be sewer are like a separate sub-corporation if you will, where all costs and revenues have to be managed within the confines of that utility. You can't grab monies from elsewhere. They must be self-sufficient."