City of Charlottetown hoping to speed water meter installation
City proposes $50 surcharge starting in January
The City of Charlottetown is proposing some "encouragement" for residents to install a mandatory water meter: a $50 surcharge that would start in January, pending council approval.
When the project was first announced, the municipality said customers would have until the end of 2019 to have a water meter installed.
Now, the city said the project is going well and it would like to see the process complete by the end of 2017. Starting in January, it's planning to charge an extra $50 per quarterly bill — or about $200 a year — to customers who have yet to schedule their installation.
"Everyone in the city has received two notices, and we're finding some people need a little encouragement," said Richard MacEwen, acting director of the Charlottetown Water & Sewer Utility.
"We're just trying to get things done quickly."
Proposed surcharge refundable
About 7,000 water and sewer customers have already had their new water meter installed, which leaves 3,000 customers yet to make an appointment.
"So as long as they make their appointment and have their meter installed, we will refund the surcharge," MacEwen added.
"If all 3,000 customers call and set up their appointment on January 2, they would all be eligible for that refund," said MacEwen.
Water conservation and leak detection are two requirements for the city's new well field, so the sooner water meters get installed, the better, he added.
'I don't think it's right'
But some say this new deadline — and possible surcharge — isn't fair.
Joe Hambly has arranged to have his water meter installed this week, but believes any potential penalty should come with more notice.
"I don't think it's right that the city didn't notify us this was going to happen," said Hambly.
"Here it is, only a month and a half until January 1. When were they going to let people know, when they got their first water bill, in April, after the first quarter had passed?"
It doesn't make sense for the City of Charlottetown to take a heavy-handed approach to water conservation, Hambly added, at the same time as the province contemplates a water bottling facility on the Island.
The $50 surcharge is not yet a done deal, MacEwen notes — a resolution is set to be voted on at the next city council meeting Monday, November 14, at which point council members will have their say.
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