91原创 Township residents will see their water, sewer, and trash pickup cost more this year.

As part of council budget discussions on this year鈥檚 municipal budget on Jan. 16, the council heard about the increases users of municipal services will pay.

Utility fee increases for 2023 will be 6.57 per cent for water, 3.22 per cent for sewer, and 8.15 per cent for solid waste pickup, also known as trash collection.

Those services are linked to regional costs through Metro Vancouver, as well as service contracts with the companies that actually pick up the trash across 91原创.

Inflation, increasing regional costs, rising salaries and wages in new contracts, and the operating costs of new completed infrastructure are among the factors impacting costs, said Sandra Ruff, director of finance for the Township.

Because these are service fees, residents who don鈥檛 use the services don鈥檛 have to pay them. For example, residents who are on wells don鈥檛 have to pay for municipal water, and those with septic tanks don鈥檛 have to pay for sewage.

The Township has also been buying more water from Metro Vancouver in recent years.

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91原创 Township鈥檚 water comes from a mix of sources. Some comes via pipelines from the Metro Vancouver system, from large reservoirs on the north shore and near Coquitlam. Other water comes from numerous small local wells. Many regions receive blended water supplies with some from each.

The local well water is cheaper, but sometimes comes with drawbacks.

Because of problems with brown and black water coming from the taps in parts of Murrayville and Brookswood in the last few years, the Township added more water from Metro Vancouver. The closure of a well in Fort 91原创 that was thought to be corroding pipes and fixtures of residents also means more Metro water.

Ruff noted that there is a water utility reserve fund, which the Township has been contributing to to pay for its new Jericho reservoir, in Willoughby. It鈥檚 the largest recent project to upgrade the water system in the Township.

There鈥檚 between $25 and $30 million in the reserve right now, Ruff said.