FORT ST. JOHN -- A proposed bylaw amendment that would see the price of filtered water at Fort St. John’s Water Recovery Facility nearly double has been rejected by city council.
In a report presented to council on March 11th, 2024, by Director of Public Works and Utilities Jeremy Garner, the proposal suggested increasing the price of water from $3.50 to $6 per cubic metre to align with market value, and help the city’s cost recovery strategy following lost revenue from the Micro Hydro project.
The facility filters and chlorinates waste water that has gone through the city’s treatment process and is then resold for industrial, agricultural and firefighting use.
Councillor Trevor Bolin told CJDC-TV that there’s been a big uptake in demand this year, nearing 25,000 cubic metres sold this year so far compared to 17,000 to 20,000 last year.
Bolin citied the price at the Dawson Creek facility at $4.10, as a factor that would lead industry to shop around for more competitive pricing.
The facility costs the city $70,000 a year in operation costs, which includes chemical and biological testing, and utility payments.
Council agreed to revisit a potential one dollar increase at a later date.
