Wastewater Consumption Charge Rebates

Policy number: 2015-04

Effective date: December 14, 2015

Last revision date: December 14, 2015

On this page

1. Purpose
2. Implementation Procedure

1. Purpose

From time to time, County staff receive requests to waive or reduce water and wastewater charges stemming mainly from water leaks on the owner’s property. The actual consumption of water, as measured by the flow through the water meter, is charged without adjustment. This is because the cost of supplying potable water exists whether the water is consumed or whether it flows through a leak in a water pipe. In the situation where there has been an extraordinary circumstance to cause a water leak and the leaked water has not entered the wastewater system, it is deemed reasonable to consider a reduction to the amount of the wastewater consumption charges only. The monthly basic charges for water and wastewater will remain unadjusted as these charges are fixed monthly fees and are not impacted by consumption.

2. Implementation Procedure

The onus is on the owner/occupant of the property receiving water and wastewater services to request a refund as soon as possible from the date of the occurrence.

Eligibility Requirements:

All of the following eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for a rebate of the additional wastewater consumption charges:

•  There has been a detectable leak in the water service; and
•  The water has not been utilized for personal or commercial purposes; and
•  The water has not entered the wastewater system; and
•  The owner has acted responsibly and exercised due diligence to remedy the situation as quickly as possible; and
•  A physical inspection of the premises conducted by staff from the Environmental Services Division verifies the water did not enter the wastewater system.

If the customer feels they meet these eligibility requirements, they will be required to fill out the approved application form. Forms can be obtained at County administration buildings or on the County’s website. Instructions for completing the form and requirements are included on the form. All completed forms must be forwarded to the Finance Department to the attention of the Accounts Receivable (A/R) Clerk for processing.

Once the application is received, the applicable County staff will verify the details to ensure all the eligibility requirements are met.

The authority to determine eligibility and approve a rebate is delegated to the Treasurer or his/her delegate. Any appeal must be directed to Council in writing, with such request being placed on the public (open) session agenda of an upcoming Council in Committee meeting.

All refunds will be based on the difference between the average daily wastewater consumption during the leak period (as measured by the water meter) compared to the average daily wastewater consumption from the immediate billing history prior to the leak (as measured by the water meter; requires a minimum of 4 months and a maximum of 12 months to determine the average).

The amount of the refund will reflect the difference in daily consumption as calculated above, multiplied by the number of days during the leak period, multiplied by the applicable wastewater consumption rate(s) in effect during the leak period.

Refund Limitations:

In the event that a refund is warranted based on the review of the facts relevant to the program requirements, any rebate will be limited to the following provisions:

•  The calculated adjusted billing for wastewater consumption charges must result in a refund of a minimum of $5 and 10% over the average monthly consumption charges in order for a refund to be processed. Refunds that do not meet these requirements will not be approved.
•  Any refund/adjustments owing will cover a leak period that reflects a maximum of three months of billing.

Notification:

All applicants under this program will be notified of the approved results. Notification will include details of the amount of the approved rebate, as the case may be. Any denials of a request for a rebate will receive notification with reason(s) for the denial.