Stonewall residents will be paying a bit more for water in the future. Mayor Lockie McLean says they recently went through an extensive review of their water and sewer rates, after reporting a deficit over the past several years. He says their annual deficit was around $94,000, but they're required to have the utility present a balanced budget. To address the deficit, McLean says they'll be increasing their rate with an average increase of about $11.50 per month, while those who use a minimal amount of water would see an increase of about $2.75. 

Mayor Lockie McLean

McLean says the hike comes as the town hadn't conducted a full review of their water and sewer rates in quite some time. He says the last few reviews have been fairly basic, and this is the first time in more than two decades they've taken an in-depth look at the issue.

"Administration did an awesome job. They spent several months going through it with a fine-tooth comb and what they found out is that a complete study of the water rates hasn't been done since 1989. The Manitoba Water Services Board recommends you do it every two to three years."

McLean notes they're now committing to conducting a review of the rates every two to three years, to ensure they're keeping on top of the utility's financial situation. Overall, he says he's comfortable with the increase noting it will help address the deficit the utility has been seeing.

It could still be a while before Stonewall sees the increase, as McLean notes the Public Utilities Board and Water Services Board could take about eight months to get respond to their rate change request.