Eganville — Water and sewer rates are going up in the village in 2024, but without dipping into reserves, the rate would be even higher.

“I was stunned,” said Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jennifer Murphy of the water and sewer budget for 2024. “Then I realized there are reserves and we are at four percent.”

The mayor was very coginizant this will be a hardship for users of the Eganville system.

“Nobody is happy about that, especially in these times,” she said.

However, the rates are much lower than many other small municipalities in the county, she said.

“This is one-third of some of our neighbours’ increases,” the mayor said.

The issue of high water and sewer rates has made headlines with the residents of the village of Cobden approaching council about skyrocketing rates. Mayor Murphy said local politicians have taken this issue on and are tackling it at the provincial level at both AMO and ROMA.

“It is a capacity issue and over-building,” she said. “Our water and wastewater users are overburdened with these costs.”

The mayor said she and Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon are preparing a briefing on this issue and will be looking for some provincial relief.

“There is a lot of administration,” she added. “It is an overburden.”

As far as the 2024 budget for Eganville users, she said she is not thrilled with the increase, but knows Water and Wastewater Manager Darryl Verch worked very hard at the budget.

He said while they worked hard not to make the increases too strenuous for ratepayers, there are pressures on the system and it would be easy to add more necessary work to the budget.

“There is another half a million of work that could be done,” he said.

The mayor said there is a water/wastewater fund and asked if there is a need for infrastructure or the plant.

Mr. Verch said there is a spot where that funding can go.

“There is a street in bad need of upgrading,” he said.

There is about half a million in work which should be looked at in the next few years, he cautioned.

“Sometimes you can’t take a chance on it,” he said.

As far as the four percent increase, he said he wanted to make it lower.

“I would have been more happy with two percent but it is what it is.”

Mr. Verch cautioned having smaller increases annually helps the department deal with necessary work each year. He said if this was not done, then the need for bigger increases would be inevitable.

“We would be like our neighbours and have to go 15 percent (increases),” he said.

Mayor Murphy said it is not only in Renfrew County where this has become a problem. There are “substantial” increases in systems all over Eastern Ontario, she said.

Councillor John Epps said it is good to see the system is being addressed and needs are being dealt with annually.

“You are always chipping away at the big picture and I like that,” he said.

Mr. Verch said the real concern is the aging pipes in the ground, which need repair.
“That is the big money,” she said.

He said when this is occurring the infrastructure pipes is only a portion of the total cost of the project. On top of this is asphalt and sidewalk repairs.
“My portion might be $100,000 but with everything it will be $500,000,” he said.

The actual water and wastewater rates will be set in January at the next meeting of council.