Burnaby resident Keith Bemister wants to know why Burnaby's residential utility rates are higher than the surrounding municipalities.
This year, Burnaby's water rate increased by six per cent to $487.24, and the sewer rate increased by the same percentage to $458.51, coming to a total of $945.75.
"It gets worse when you pay your property taxes, with the property increases on that and the tax increase on top," Bemister said of Burnaby's high rates.
Vancouver's flat water rate increased by 9.9 per cent to $513, and the flat sewer rate for a single dwelling increased by 10 per cent to $273, totalling $786.
Coquitlam's combined rates for 2012 totalled $765 while New Westminster came in at $909.42.
Burnaby has attributed a portion of the high increases to Metro Vancouver's rising rates, which account for 51 per cent of utility rates paid by property owners, but Bemister said he wants more information on Burnaby's portion - the other 49 per cent.
"It seemed like a bit of splitting hairs," he said regarding the onus being put on Metro Vancouver's increases.
The City of Burnaby has also attributed the increases to the costs of the water and sewer line separation project, but Bemister is concerned some of the increased costs are due to increased infrastructure needs for new developments in the city.
"On Douglas Road, there's six towers where there used to be a warehouse," he said. That's a lot more demand on our water and sewer - system."
While new developments bring in money for the city, real estate agents and developers, Bemister wants the city to make sure developers cover their fair portion of infrastructure costs.
Residential water metering might be another way for residents to be held accountable for their portion of water usage and the strain on the system, he suggested, though he said it is a complex issue.
For him and his wife, a water meter would be ideal, though it might not work well for other households, he said.
"We don't use a lot of water," Bemister said. "We have to hose off the dog once in a while, and that's about all the extra water use we have."
But overall, Bemister said he would like to see more information provided regarding increases and the reasons behind them, and for the city's fiscal responsibility to be passed on as benefits to its residents.
The reason Burnaby's rates are higher is partly due to the city's fiscally responsible management, according to Mayor Derek Corrigan. Burnaby has taken a more aggressive approach to the sewer and water line separation project that all Metro Vancouver municipalities are undertaking - Burnaby has a 20-year replacement plan, whereas Vancouver has a 100-year-plan, he pointed out.
Vancouver has also not done the upgrades to their facilities that Burnaby has, he said. The Iona treatment plant requires upgrades, which Vancouver will have to pay for soon, Corrigan said, whereas Burnaby has already paid for the upgrades at the Annacis Island treatment centre.
"Since Vancouver hasn't refurbished its facilities, it hasn't been paying for that," he said.
Burnaby also pays for its projects over a short amortization period, which means higher short-term costs, he added.
"We didn't want to leave future generations carrying the weight," Corrigan said.
While residential metering is considered "one of the Holy Grails of water conservation," he said, it is best used to preserve water resources when they are low.
"Here in British Columbia, we have too much water," he said. "We have so much water we have trouble keeping it out of our houses."
Managing the excess water via the region's sewer systems is costly, he added. The only time there's a problem with low water levels is during the hottest days of the summer, Corrigan said, adding he isn't sure the cost of putting in water meters is worth it for that brief period.
"Water's free," he said. "All the costs are getting water to your door."
The City of Vancouver introduced residential water meters on Jan. 2, 2012 for all new homes or those undergoing substantial renovations including waterworks.
It's part of Vancouver's Greenest City 2020 action plan, and is intended to save residents money, encourage conservation and limit the impact on water and sewer infrastructure, according to the clean water section of the action plan.
Metro Vancouver also mentions metering in its Drinking Water Management Plan, first released in 2005.
According to the plan, the regional government is installing water meters on all new municipal system connections to Metro Vancouver's water mains.
The goals set for municipalities, to be completed by 2015, mention residential metering programs: "Municipalities will reassess the merits of developing residential water metering programs and municipal rebate programs for water-efficient fixtures and appliances."
