Proposed higher 2025 charges for eight SCRD wastewater systems

Users on eight of the 15 wastewater systems owned by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) are proposed to see increased user or frontage fees in 2025.

At the Nov. 21 finance committee meeting, elected officials concurred with every staff recommendation regarding changes to sewer system rates for next year, and those committee decisions are set for board consideration on Nov. 28. Bylaw changes enshrining the adjusted rates are slated to be adopted at the Dec. 11 board meeting.

Reductions or no change

Halfmoon Bay’s Square Bay system bucked the trend with a lower user fee of $1,150 recommended, down from $,1281 and no change to the frontage fee, which SCRD.ca lists at $276 (as of 2023).

Curran Road, Lee Bay, Canoe, Merrill, Roberts Creek and Lily Lake systems saw no recommended changes to user or frontage fees. Annual user fees for those areas range from $487.67 to $1,948.25. Frontage fees range from $252 to $474 (2023 levels as reported on scrd.ca).

Increases proposed

Increased 2025 costs for properties were recommended for the remainder of the SCRD systems, including:

• Greaves Road Service Area, user fees rise to $827 from $763.61
• Woodcreek Park frontage fees rise to $550 from $500
• Sunnyside Service Area user fees rise to $850 from $790.62
• Jolly Roger Service Area user fees rise to $1,050 from $986.54
• Secret Cove Residential user fees rise to $900 from $829.96, its marina user fee rises to $918.85  from $847.34 and its restaurant user fee rises to $1,307.25 from $1,205.51.
• Langdale Wastewater Service frontage fees rise to $550 from $500 (those fees increased between 2020 and 2024 from $102 to $500)
• Painted Boat Service Area single-family residential user fees rise to $650 from $586.13, spa operation user fees rise to $1,360.50 from $1,226.78 and restaurant user fees rise to $2,766.36 from $2,494.46.
• Sakinaw Ridge Community Sewage Treatment System frontage fees rise to $879.42 from $862.18. In 2020, that rate was $418.20. According to a staff report on the meeting’s agenda, this service has only 13 users on a system designed to accommodate 29 properties.

“Staff have worked to establish an online presence for each wastewater service at “letstalk.scrd.ca” – this will be the primary point of contact for these wastewater participants. The website will be communicated on utility billing literature and through typical social media channels occasionally, and any rate changes will be communicated through all these same channels,” the report stated.

Words missing in this article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.