DRYDEN – Raising water and sewer rates by 6.3 per cent was the right thing for city councillors to do, Mayor Jack Harrison said Wednesday.
It’s necessary for the financial sustainability of city water and sewer assets, Dryden’s mayor said in a phone interview.
The rate increase, approved by council Monday night, is effective Dec. 29.
Much of the city’s water and sewer pipelines are old cast iron piping that’s in need of replacement in the near future, Harrison said, adding that some of the cast iron pipe is “around 1927 vintage.”
“So yes, we’re behind the eight ball,” he said. “We need to make sure we have funding in place to maintain this essential infrastructure.
“So we’re going to gradually increase [water and sewer rates] to create a solid financial base that can support replacements and upgrades.”
Water and sewer constitute “one of the most valuable assets that we have in our city,” he said.
The rate hike fits in with the system’s long-range financial plan, which council approved in 2020, while “minimizing the impact on our residents,” Harrison said.
The increase amounts to a little more than $4 a month for a typical Dryden household, he estimated.
