Olds residents' wastewater costs will be lower this summer, thanks to a decision by town council.
During its July 8 meeting, council approved a proposal by administrative staff to use a winter averaging method when calculating wastewater consumption costs.
The winter averaging method will ensure that residents' wastewater consumption costs would be lower from July through September.
The method is to go into effect this July’s bill and will be in effect until Sept. 30.
This method works by averaging the consumption of a household during the winter months (October-June) to calculate the summer months' consumption.
“So say you normally use five cubic metres on average through those nine months,” explains Sheena Linderman, director of finance for the Town of Olds. “If you’re watering and you’re using 10 (cubic metres), you’re only going to get charged (for) five cubic metres of wastewater.”
As for how much this will save each household per month, Linderman says it depends on how much water people use.
“It’s hard to say, because it just depends on if they (residents) water or not,” Linderman said. “As an average, we as a town only use one cubic metre more in the summer.”
“I think this is something that our citizens have been wanting. The costs are not significant to the Town of Olds and I think it’s a gesture of goodwill,” said Coun. Mary Jane Harper.
