ONTARIO — Throughout 2019, Ontario residents will see their sewer rates rise incrementally.
Ontario City Council passed legislation Wednesday night to increase sewer rates for city residents, businesses and its other customers by 10 percent (in total) over the next year.
The new rates will help cover an increase from the city of Mansfield, which handles Ontario’s wastewater treatment.
“We received a 10-percent increase from Mansfield this year (2019), so we’ll have to pass that onto our residents,” said Mayor Randy Hutchinson earlier this month.
He hopes the incremental increase will make the adjustments more manageable for residents.
Ontario entered a 30-year wastewater treatment contract with Mansfield in 2014. This contract increased Ontario’s rates by 18 percent at the start of 2018, as scheduled and agreed upon in the contract. This increase was also passed on incrementally to Ontario residents.
Future annual increases will only add an extra three percent, he said.
For those who pay flat sewer rates, bills will increase from $35 per month to $39.20 per month beginning Jan. 1, 2019. Starting in January 2020, rates will increase again to $40.38 per month.
Ontario can opt-out of the contract after five years with a one-year notice. The possibility of building an Ontario water treatment plant has been previously discussed.
