Cobden — Whitewater Region (WWR) council has formalized its efforts to address the unaffordability of its water and wastewater systems by passing a resolution at its December 6 meeting.

The intent is to raise awareness of the plight of rural and small urban municipalities and gain support for the need for additional funding from provincial and federal sources to meet the standards imposed by higher-tier governments.

The resolution, as moved by Mayor Neil Nicholson, refers to the costly requirements in legislation to which municipalities, including rural and small urban ones, must adhere, and also outlines the history of the township’s ongoing efforts to comply with them.

It notes that, in 2014, the township authorized an engineering firm to undertake a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for the purpose of evaluating viable options to upgrade the 1979 Cobden Wastewater Treatment Plant, which at that time did not meet guidelines for effluent flow into Muskrat Lake and Cobden Wetland. The plant had ongoing seasonal overflow events, and was at maximum capacity.

Subsequently, in 2018, council approved the construction of a new parallel mechanical system that would meet all provincial environmental and regulatory requirements, including accommodating future growth.  Federal and provincial contributions only covered 50 per cent of the final construction costs and there was no ability to renegotiate with federal and provincial partners once real costs were known. As a result, the balance of costs ($6 million) was debentured over 30 years at interest rates that are “slightly punitive” to rural and small urban municipalities, the resolution states.

In 2019 council conducted a water and wastewater rate study that demonstrated the need for rate increases of over 100 per cent to fund the new wastewater treatment plant construction debenture and the significantly increased operating costs for a parallel mechanical system.

“Rural and small urban municipalities experience very limited growth as federal and provincial policies heavily support growth in urban centers,” the resolution continues. “As there are no other sources of available operational funding, rural and small urban municipalities are expected to fund the construction and operation of these state-of-the-art systems from existing property owners and nominal forecasted growth.”

It goes on to point out that, in 2023, WWR combined water and wastewater rates have risen to almost $3,000 year for the 511 users, who are residents of Cobden, the only community in the township that has wastewater services, and as such are among those paying the highest rates in the County of Renfrew and across the Province of Ontario.

The resolution is following up on a motion passed by council in October to advocate to the Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MP and MPP to seek meetings with provincial and federal ministries to make them aware that rural and small urban water and wastewater systems are financially unsustainable and need additional supports from all levels of government to keep rural communities affordable.

Support is also being sought from the county, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association (ROMA) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to examine if the unaffordability of water and wastewater system operational costs is systemic provincially and nationally.

The township itself plans to establish a water and wastewater task force to report to council with advice and policy recommendations relating to operating and life-cycle costs of water and wastewater systems, including a review of existing programs, policies, and solutions both locally and in other relevant jurisdictions.

To address concerns expressed by Councillor Chris Olmstead regarding the burden of responsibility of individual members of council, the resolution was amended to recognize the provision in the Safe Drinking Water Act that “expressly extends legal responsibility to people with decision-making authority over drinking water systems which requires that they exercise a level of care …  that a reasonable prudent person would be expected to exercise in a similar situation. It is also expected that they would exercise this with due diligence, honestly, competently and with integrity.”

Coun. Olmstead thanked the staff for the time and care taken in the formulation the resolution.

“I believe this is one of the biggest challenges council is facing,” he said.

Mayor Nicholson said his intent was to have the resolution to county council for yesterday’s meeting (December 12) so the county’s response is available to take to ROMA for its annual conference in January.

The resolution is also being circulated to MP Cheryl Gallant MP, MPP John Yakabuski, AMO, ROMA, FCM, all municipalities within the county of as well as the County of Renfrew Warden, and the City of Pembroke.