ABOUT THE INCREASE IN OUR WATER RATES
Everyone living in Neepawa has just received their water bill and everyone will notice that the bill is considerably higher than previous bills. This is because the town has increased the water rates by approximately 40%. There are some factors you need to be aware of:
1. There has not been a regular increase in water rates for years. Normally, rates will increase slightly every year but this has not been happening in Neepawa. This large rate increase is an adjustment increase to make the waters rates reflect the cost of providing clean, safe and potable water.
2. If a community wishes to change rates, they have to make an application to the Public Utilities Board (PUB). This agency reviews all such requests and determines whether the application is reasonable. Without the PUB’s authorization, a town cannot increase rates. The PUB approved Board Order 15/17 allowing Council to pass By-Law 3145-17 to increase the water and sewer rates for 2017 to 2019.
3. The town has been making residents aware that this increase was coming for over a year. There has been an insert in the water bills over the past year informing people of the increase. There have been notices in the newspaper and the mayor has talked about it on more than one occasion on the Mayor’s Hotline. This should not be a surprise to anyone who has been living in Neepawa and paying water bills.
What has been disturbing is that it would seem some residents have been upset at the increase and have behaved inappropriately when bringing this to the town’s attention. There is no need or excuse for this type of behavior. The town is happy to answer your questions but in a respectful manner.
Note: for those people who have other people living in their homes paying rent, the home owner may reasonably expect those people to share the water and sewer costs and should discuss it with them
On the Neepawa Town website you can find the following information. There is even a Water & Sewer Consumption calculator that you can use to estimate your water and sewer bill. Click here for the Water & Sewer Consumption Calculator (Microsoft Excel file).
From the desk of Tito Don (2/2)
Understanding your Water Meter:
Water meters are read by a drive-by remote frequency device every three months (quarterly) – March, June, September and December. Bills are sent out at the end of the quarterly reading month.
The Town of Neepawa makes every effort to keep reading dates consistent so each quarter is based on a period of approximately 90 days. Water meters contain a nutating disc measuring chamber, which means that unless water goes through the meter, consumption is not recorded. If a meter malfunctions it will slow down or stop.
Common issues with the remote frequency meters malfunctioning include a blockage due to sand/silt in the line (generally after hydrant flushing, or turning off in the home for repairs) or a dead battery. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure their water meter is accessible to Town staff always. The area surrounding the meter should be free and clear of debris. Damage to water meters caused by negligence will result in the homeowner being charged the replacement cost of the meter (starting at approximately $350). If you notice an issue with your meter, you are to call the Town Office at 204-476-7600 as soon as possible.
What to do if you get a large water bill?
Look at your water meter. To read your meter you must shine a flashlight on the face of the meter to charge the reading panel or to “wake it up.” If you see a tap symbol in the top left-hand corner, you have a leak. A flashing tap means an intermittent leak (not consistent). To start checking for leaks within your home we recommend the following:
*Take a reading of your meter at night right before you go to bed and again first thing in the morning before anyone uses water. If the read has changed overnight, you know there is something leaking.
*Start identifying possible culprits – put food colouring in your toilet tanks and leaving it for ½ hour. If the colouring seeps into the bowl, you know it is your toilet. Check your water softener and all taps (inside and out). If you still cannot find the problem you may need to contact a plumber. Even a very small drip can cost you. A typical home can lose 7600 litres to 76,000 litres (7.6 m3 to 76 m3) of water per year due to leaks. A faucet dripping slowly at only one drop every two seconds will waste more than 3700 litres (3.7 m3) per year. At $2.38 per cubic meter of water, a leaking toilet can increase your quarterly water bill by as little as $70 and sometimes up to $1500.
If you have any questions, please call the town at 204-476-7600 or visit the Town Office immediately.
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From the Desk of Tito Don
Hello everyone.
Summer seems to be speeding along like a bullet. I can't believe it is August already. From what I hear many of you have been having a lot of good family time; camping, fishing, swimming lessons, barbequing and travelling.
We have been very busy here at settlement services also with many new permanent families arriving in Neepawa. We have some exciting events coming up including providing courses for the Early Childhood Educator program as well as the possibility of doing a Health Care Aide course- We will let you know when we have more concrete information about these two learning opportunities and more so keep checking out our Facebook and website.
I want to remind you that our English language classes will be starting again in September and that they are free for permanent residents. There are lots of reasons to learn one of Canada's official languages but one of the most important one is that the better your skill level in English or French, the better chance you have of getting more advanced employment.
Also, if a person wishes to get into a training program or upgrade their credentials, a higher-level skill in English or French will certainly be helpful. During the summer, we have been offering free conversational language sessions for any permanent resident who would like to participate. If you are interested, please call the office (204476-2055) and arrange to meet with our instructor.
Finally, there are a couple of comments I would like to leave you with.
First, there is a phone scam currently going around with the caller pretending they are from Canada Revenue Agency asking for personal or financial information. Please remember that in Canada, none of our banking, Federal or Provincial institutions will call you at home for information. This applies with Charities as well. So, if you get a phone call from someone saying- they are official and want personal information, you are advised to not provide the information and ask for a name and a phone number and tell the caller you are going to check it out with the police. Speaking of police, look for an upcoming event in the fall when we are arranging a time for you to meet with a police officer and can ask any question you want. Get the facts straight.
The second thing I want to do is to clear up some confusion. Recently we have had some people come to the office concerned that they may have sent certain documents to the wrong address. I am going to quote a saying that was very common during the second world war, "Stay Calm, don't Panic". When a person gets the email from IRCC asking them to send in their passports and accompanying documents there are two addresses put down to send the package to. IRCC is very clear that it doesn't matter which address you send your information, it will still get there. One address is a mailing address and the other is a courier address. Do not wony, you can send it to either one and IRCC will receive it- There is apparently a rumour circulating that one of the address will end up with your information going to the USA. First of all that's not true and secondly it would be rather silly to be sending your Canadian information to the USA anyway. So, when you get that e-mail from IRCC requesting your passports, don't worry about which address you send it to. Both work* Remember that when you get that request email, IRCC states that you may come to our office and we will assist you through the process.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and we'll be talking with you soon.
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