Dear Sir / Madame, I would…

Dear Sir / Madame,

I would like to comment on the province expanding the places to grow and provincial policy statement. while I do agree on the needs for homes, the concern that I have is with the cost of municipal water and wastewater services being put on the backs of all residents even those that are on private wells and private sewer systems in rural areas.

The bill Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act , 2002 that was put before legislature was not passed and sild through the cracks, thus resulting in may municipalities downloading the costs of maintaining water and wastewater systems to all residents of the municipality even those on private water and wastewater systems.

Every Development should be paying for itself and self sustaining and not be a burden to all residents on the municipality.

Many municipalities are subsidizing water and wastewater rates from general taxation thus effecting the maintenance, repairs and replacement of roads and bridges where money collected from general taxation should be used.

The sustainable water and sewage systems act should be passed and receive royal accent, this will make municipalities more accountable on how they use money collected from general taxation. Municipalities should not be allowed to subsidize water and sewage rates and then depend on the province for bailouts. The actual costs of all operational and capital expenses incurred on water and sewage systems should be billed to all residents using the municipal service.

Passing the Sustainable water and sewage act and insisting that all water and sewage users pay the actual costs with no subsidization from general taxes will leave more money collected from general taxation for other infrastructure and will also not require the provincial government to provide grants.

If municipalities need to take loans for their water and sewer systems the loans should be billed back to the residents using the systems and not all residents of the township.

It is not reasonable to expect the residents in rural areas to pay to maintain their own wells and sewer systems and also pay to subsidize the residents on municipal water and sewer systems.

Thank you