Friday, June 1, 2012

Water Rates in the South of Fraser

Over the last little while, there has been some people that have called for the Township of Langley to leave Metro Vancouver and go it alone. One of the services that Metro Vancouver provides is water. Municipalities tap into Metro Vancouver’s water mains which feeds into their own systems. I wanted to see how the water rates in the South of Fraser communities compare to Abbotsford.

Township of Langley Flat Rate: $420.92
Delta Flat Rate: $470
Surrey Metered Rate: $0.815 per cubic meter*
City of Langley Metered Rate: $1.03 per cubic meter in addition to a $50 fee
Abbotsford Rates:
$1.13 per cubic metre (November – April)
$1.13 - $2.26 per cubic metre (May – October)

In Abbotsford you can expect to pay between $236.17 and $1,900.84 per year on water depending on your household size. Abbotsford currently has a water shortage problem and that has led to a tiered-rate during peak months.

So besides having some of the most expensive water rates in the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford also has a supply problem. All food for thought for people that think the Township of Langley would be better off on its own.

*Surrey has a flat rate water option of $651 per year, but it is high to get people with older, non-metered homes to switch to Surrey's voluntary water meter program. All home built since 1998 in Surrey have meters.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The Township blends its Metro water with its own (much cheaper) groundwater resources, thus the lower cost. This will soon change, however, as the Township weans itself off groundwater and purchases more and more from Metro.