Nelson residents could see another increase to their water and wastewater bills next year, with the city proposing a 5.1 per cent rate hike in its draft 2027 water and wastewater budget.
The increase would add about $66 a year to the combined water and wastewater bill for a single-family household, or roughly $5.50 a month.
The figures were presented during the city’s first special budget meeting on Monday, as Director of Engineering, Capital Works and Special Projects Colin Innes and Director of Project Delivery Anne Simonen walked council through the 2027 water and wastewater financial plan.
The proposed rate would bring the combined annual charge to $1,351, up from $1,285 in 2026, for the average single-family household. Those figures reflect the city’s 10 per cent discount.
Chief Financial Officer Chris Jury said the increase would help the city manage rising costs while putting money toward major infrastructure upgrades.
“2.5 per cent is to cover those operating inflationary increases for labour and materials and supplies, and 2.7 per cent is to go into the capital program,” Jury said.
Major infrastructure work planned
The city’s proposed water and wastewater capital budget totals roughly $12.3 million, an increase of about 82 per cent from the $6.75 million budgeted in 2026.
Simonen told council wastewater projects account for around $9.4 million of that spending, with the largest allocation going toward replacing the city’s aquatic sanitary forcemain.
The pipeline carries wastewater from the airport lift station to the treatment plant at Grohman Narrows. The section running underwater through Kootenay Lake has experienced repeated leaks in recent years.
“The aquatic force main bit is the part that is leaking and causing a lot of issues, as you’ve seen in the news over the last year,” Simonen said.
The city has allocated $8.5 million for the forcemain project in 2027 and has already secured $7 million in federal and provincial funding for the work.
Design work is about 60 per cent complete. Simonen said the city plans to bring a contractor into the process early next year to help finish the design and prepare for construction.
One of the challenges is the terrain along the existing pipeline, which runs through an underwater boulder field with some rocks measuring about three metres across.
“So we’re actually gonna be going with the new alignment, but crossing that bench right close to the wastewater treatment plant is still a bit of a design challenge,” Simonen told council.
The city is using an early contractor engagement model, which involves bringing construction expertise into the design process sooner to help identify potential challenges and get a clearer idea of costs before work begins.
“We’re approaching this project in an early contractor engagement model, which is fairly new to the city,” Simonen said. “This is a method that a lot of municipalities are moving to these days to help with constructability advice as well as cost certainty.”
The forcemain replacement is one part of the city’s broader wastewater infrastructure plans. Innes also highlighted ongoing work to develop an updated Liquid Waste Management Plan, which will help guide future decisions about wastewater treatment and the city’s treatment plant.
Stage 2 of that process will continue in 2027, including public engagement on community values and priorities to help shape the city’s long-term wastewater solutions and investments.
The proposed water and wastewater rates still need council approval, with more budget meetings to come before the city’s five-year financial plan is finalized.
The water, wastewater and resource recovery fee bylaw is scheduled for adoption in January, with fees due March 15.
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