Iqaluit proposes water rate hike for all customers

Iqaluit's city administration is proposing to raise the cost of water service, and that has some residents worried about how they're going to pay their bills. 

The current rate for residential water service is around one cent per litre. The Government of Nunavut subsidizes the rate so Iqaluit homeowners actually pay just over half a cent per litre.

Commercial customers pay 1.53 cents per litre; industrial customers pay just over 1.7 cents per litre.

In the city's draft budget put forward on Monday, officials proposed to raise the rate to three cents per litre across the board. That's three times higher then the city's one cent per litre residential rate and five times higher then the half cent per litre rate residents are actually paying after you apply the government subsidy.

Mayor Madeleine Redfern, said water rates may not end up being that high, but they will need to go up.

"We simply do not have enough money at the city to buy all the equipment that we need, including water trucks and sewer trucks," Redfern said. 

The proposal comes following changes to trucked water delivery that included canceling Wednesday deliveries to save money.

All this change has some residents worried about what they could end up paying. 

"Well, I'm scared," said Lodie Ipeelie. 

"I mean, what a time to mention [it], before Christmas. I am always thinking about retiring but I don't think I can retire."

Mayor and council plan plan to discuss the proposal in greater detail when the finance committee of the whole meets again Thursday night.