PUB WATER UTILITY RATE PUBLIC HEARING 2018
PUB Public Hearing Presentation - Presented January 23, 2018
| Year | Flat Rate | Water Rate (cubic cm) | Sewer Rate (cubic cm) | Special Levy (Annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $100.60 | $3.81 | $1.79 | $91.91 |
Thompson's water and sewer infrastructure is at a time of transition. For most of Thompson's history, water was provided for free to residents by INCO/Vale Canada, who owned the water treatment plant. In 2010, the ownership of the plant began to be transferred to the City of Thompson, and a water utility rate was charged for the first time.
As people start to pay for water, they use less water to save money, but the cost of operating the plant doesn't change proportionally to the amount of water people use. Therefore, the less water that people use, the higher the cost per cubic meter. Thompson's utility base continues to undergo that correction.
Utility FAQ's
Utility By-Laws
CONTACT US
Paying Your Water Bill
Water bills can be paid by cash, cheque, or debit at City Hall's front desk, or by mailing a cheque.
You can also set up an electronic funds transfer through your bank, or send us an e-transfer set up using the following information:
- Add a new contact or payee using the email "payments@thompson.ca”
- Be sure to select "Notify Contact by E-Mail” (or otherwise ensure your payment notification will be sent by email)
- Under "Messages” include your name and utility account number
- The answer for your security question should always be "Thompson"
New Accounts and Rental Properties
NEW ACCOUNTS/MOVING IN OR OUT?
If you are moving out, call us at 204-677-7950 and let us know the date you will be moving. We do final readings every Friday. We also require a forwarding address to send the final bill to.
If you are moving in, we will ask that you fill in the Residential Customer Information Form and drop if off at City Hall or fax it to us at 204-677-7936. You can download the form here.
RENTAL PROPERTIES
If a tenant is responsible for paying the water bill as part of their rental agreement, landlords must ensure that the tenant completes the Residential Customer Information Form and drops it off at City Hall. You can download the form here.
Winter Bleeder Rebate Program
During the winter, the City of Thompson offers a rebate to properties that must run their water to keep their lines from freezing (mainly homes located in the Burntwood trailer court). The rebate applies to the quarters of October 1-December 31 and January 1–March 31st. The rebates are based on your average use for the months of April 1 to September 30. Running your water after March 31 will affect your rebate.
The Bleeder Rebate must be pre-approved and no rebate will be applied by the City of Thompson prior to receiving the application.
To register for the Bleeder Rebate please send a letter, including your name, address, contact number and reason for the request to:
Utility Clerk
226 Mystery Lake Road
Thompson, MB R8N 1S6
Email: utility@thompson.ca
Fax: 204-677-7936
Does Your Water Bill Seem High?
Make sure you are not running any water. Shine a flashlight on your meter (the meter will look blank until you do this). There are three screens which will come up: the one you are looking for will be the reading. Initially it will be the third screen, then the screens will alternate between rate and reading. If the numbers are changing, water is running.
If the meter shows a faucet symbol with a drip, this means it detects a leak. If the icon is flashing, the leak is intermittent. If it is not flashing, it is continuous.
The majority of the leaks have been leaky toilets. To check you toilet follow the instructions below.
- Pour several drops of food colouring into the tank of your toilet;
- Do not flush for 20- 30 minutes
- Look at your toilet bowl: if the water has changed colour your toilet is leaking
The City of Thompson does not provide a “rebate” or “relief” for leaks. Property owners are 100% responsible for ensuring that plumbing and fixtures are in good working order.
Special Service Levy (Residential Water Break Coverage)
The special service levy covers the cost of the repair to any water break more than 1 meter from a residential structure. The levy will cover the cost of:
- Repairing the water, sewer or storm service lines
- Backfilling the hole and leveling/seeding the ground
- Replacing any public sidewalk and roads.
The owner will remain responsible for internal plumbing/ fixtures, repairs/replacement of private sidewalks, driveways, trees, decorative landscaping, shrubs or structures (including decks). All breaks less than 1 metre from the structure are considered part of the structure, and the cost for their repair remains the responsibility of the homeowner.
The special service includes residential properties and class 40 institutional properties with a one-inch water line or less. Commercial properties, rental complexes, apartment buildings and unserviced vacant lots are excluded.
The levy will be calculating using the prior year’s actual expense plus a 2% inflationary factor. It is estimated that there are 3,240 properties within the City of Thompson that are covered by the levy. This means the levy fluctuates up and down.
Why is the levy useful?
The average service line break repair costs roughly $6,000 to repair, and can cost up to $15, 000 depending on the complexity of excavation and repair work. The service levy helps reduce the risk of aging infrastructure to an individual homeowner by spreading the cost of repairs across the entire community.
The city provides service line break repairs, and the levy simplifies the repair process. Unlike private insurance costs, the levy does not go up and down based on your personal claim history. Repairs within the levy by-law parameters will also never be denied coverage.
