Water, water everywhere

Faith and Paul Bartlett are concerned their small business is in peril—the County’s noncompetitive bulk water rates are forcing clients to look north for water haulage.

Bulk water price hike threatens to send business to a watery grave

Prince Edward County is virtually an island, with its only natural connection to the mainland severed by the Murray Canal. But as summer heats up the limestone and the water recedes from the shoreline, the County can become a very dry place.

When they were setting out the 2016 budget, County councillors learned this the hard way with the introduction of the Watson report, a document commissioned by the County to illustrate the amount of work required and costs to consider to bring a troubled water and wastewater system back from the brink of bankruptcy.

In response to the report, councillors updated the increases to water and wastewater rates in serviced areas. Residents of Picton, Wellington, Ameliasburgh and Peats Point have seen an 8.8 per cent increase in their water bills.

This is to account for major capital projects the County needs to undertake to keep the systems running smoothly, and to recover a heavy debt from past projects. It also reflects other annual cost increases, including the salary and benefits of the County’s 24 waterworks employees.

But for the rural residents and businesses whose wells often run dry in the County’s warm summers, that 8.8 per cent increase is a nice dream. Bulk water rates jumped from $3.07 per cubic metre at the beginning of 2015 to $4.13 in 2016, an increase of nearly 35 per cent. Septic waste disposal rates also increased, although not as dramatically.

They will, instead, be facing the harsh reality of choosing between the County’s hefty bulk water rates or calling on bulk water providers from surrounding municipalities like Quinte West, where bulk water is $2.52 per cubic metre; Belleville, where it’s $2.13; and even Napanee.

Either way, especially for heavy users like the vineyards, it’s a costly proposition. Although some providers are willing to traverse deeper and deeper into the County, the lower rates from neighbouring municipalities are offset by greater fuel, maintenance and time costs.

For Paul and Faith Bartlett of Bartlett’s Bulk Water Services, those decisions will determine whether their business survives the summer. Paul fills his water haulage truck at the bulk water depot in Wellington. Along with rural residents in Hillier and Ameliasburgh, the small business’ clientele includes the many wineries in the County’s west end.

This year, calls for estimates have been met with disbelief and, in some cases, calls to those out-of-County bulk water providers for better rates.

The Bartletts brought the issue to the attention of a committee of council last week.

“It’s simple economics. If they can come down here and get just a little bit less than the rate that I’m charging, then it’s in their interest to keep a truck on the road and keep it staffed,” Bartlett told council. “People need water, and they’re willing to pay for it to a certain degree, loyalty to me perhaps, but outside that, they’ll start looking [elsewhere]. And that’s what frustrates us. They won’t be buying water here. Water is becoming a commodity that everybody’s going to need that is harder and harder to find in the County. So I’m going to be a little bit busier, but at this kind of rate, I’m not going to be able to compete with Trenton and Belleville.”

The issue sparked a 20-minute debate as councillors wondered how to balance the out of control water expenses with keeping small businesses running within the County. Most councillors agreed with the Watson report’s findings, but wanted to find a way to help businesses like Bartlett’s, including ideas like subsidizing the cost of purchasing bulk water.

In the end, council came to no conclusion, accepting the Bartletts’ deputation and deferring it to the new ad-hoc water advisory committee, formed to respond to the Watson report. The committee has not yet had a meeting.

Paul is pragmatic about the situation and while he would like to see a solution, he doesn’t think subsidization is a sustainable approach. Beside affecting his business, he thinks the County’s attempt to make more money from bulk water will only result in lost revenue.

“It’s affecting the small businesses. It’s hard to compete with everybody in our area, price-wise. I know I’ve contributed a considerable amount of money over the last few years to the County, and that money will be lost. So it’s a concern for the County as well, it’s just something I believe they don’t see,” says Bartlett.