Public Input Needed on Proposed Changes to Water By-Law in Oxford County

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Friday, 11 October 2019 13:08

Oxford County is looking for feedback from residents about a proposed new water by-law.

OXFORD COUNTY - Oxford County is looking for feedback from residents about a proposed new water by-law.

Director of Corporate Services Lynn Buchner explains why they are making these changes.

"The purpose of the changes is to consolidate our billing and collection services for water and waste water. We did a comprehensive review this past year and we have identified some efficiencies that could be gained."

Buchner says they want to hear from residents before this new by-law gets a final approval from council.

"We will be bringing it back to council for final consideration in November or December of this year and we will look at implementing this in March 2020. We want to make sure the implementation is understood by all of the rate payers for water and waste water and we want to make sure we make this as seamless as possible. We are not going to force those properties, who have tenants already in place, we are not going to force them to put their accounts in the property owners name, however they will have the option to do so. It will be transitioned in, as the tenants change, so as a tenant moves out and a new one moves in, then, from that point forward, that property will be in the name of the owner for water and waste water purposes."

Changes under the proposed new by-law include:

Name on the bill: New residential water and wastewater accounts opened after the by-law takes effect must be opened in the name of the property owner, not a tenant in the case of a rental unit.

Unpaid bills: All unpaid water bills will be transferred to the property owner’s municipal tax bill at a charge of $25, regardless of whether a residence is occupied by the owner or a tenant. This change saves time and cost to the system, which is ultimately paid for by all water and wastewater customers, because municipalities are better able to collect amounts owing compared to the cost and effectiveness of using private collection agencies. Transferring to municipal tax bills is a common collection practice among municipalities in Ontario.

Shut-off for vacant residences: There will be a flat-rate, stand-by charge of $25.85/month to shut off water in a vacant residence, for instance, if a homeowner is away for an extended period of time. This maintains the customer’s share of costs to keep water and wastewater service available.

Fees and charges: Other charges for services that result from special services to an individual customer will now be charged directly to that customer, rather than being shared by all users of the system. Examples include charges to thaw frozen pipes after the first time and for fire protection for private unmetered connections.

The draft water by-law, an information sheet, proposed fees and charges and other materials are available for review and comment on Speak Up, Oxford! at www.oxfordcounty.ca/speakup. A quick survey option is also available to offer feedback on the draft by-law’s key changes. In September, the County issued direct letters to landlords of multi-residential buildings to advise them of the draft by-law and to seek their input.