Windsor city council has approved an increase to the average sewer surcharge bill.
Under the approved increase, consumers using the same quantity of water in 2023 as in 2022 will see an increase of $6.23 per month, totalling $74.76 per year, on their sewer surcharge bills.
Council approved the proposed increased during Monday's budget meeting.
The 2023 sewer surcharge budget includes a nearly $12.7-million increase in spending.
Chief financial officer and city treasurer, Joe Mancina, says $10.25-million of the increase will be used fund capital initiatives.
"It's in response to insuring two things, one from a capital perspective, because of the Sewer Master Plan and the flooding work that needs to be done, as well as the funding related to the various grants we've received. Without that level of funding, it would be very difficult to achieve those targets, so that's the primary reason," he says.
Mancina says there are two other major components that are related to reserves.
"The sewer surcharge reserve has a reached a level where, it's basically balanced, a slight deficit projection of $200,000. We've been obviously drawing on that reserve to leverage against grants and various other things related to sewer related work," he says. "Part of the ask within that is to build that reserve and get it to a level where we can have a sustainable balance.
He says the other aspect is around the balance of the pollution control reserves, which is for very important equipment that we have at pollution control.
The capital funding will be used to fund sewer related capital work, including the significant sewer and flood mitigation investments identified as part of the Sewer Master Plan review.