Toronto Waste Removal and Water Prices Continue to Rise
If you thought Toronto was an expensive place to live last year, you’ll be shocked to learn that it’s increased by quite a bit in 2017.
Citizen costs associated with water and waste have been increased upon reviewed city staff recommendations, upping the water cost rate by 5% and tacking more money onto waste bin charges. It isn’t all for nothing, however: these extra funds will go towards repairing older buildings and long-running services within the city.
These new budget-tackling regulations have their benefits and their downfalls, of course. Because these costs are connected to essential services like Solid Waste, Toronto Water, and Toronto Parking, city officials will work hard to maintain a balance between efficiency and affordability for the city’s residents.
Even with the 5% increase in water, there have been few complaints, as this increase was 9% for the past few years. It was boosted that high to solve Toronto’s infrastructure issues as quickly as possible without emptying the pockets of the people living there. These issues were mainly related to underground flooding in homes and water main damages. With the current 5% water cost increase, any resident within a dwelling who uses 265 cubic metres of water would begin to pay $960 for their bill instead of the original $914 - a $46 addition.
The city is taking care to contribute extra money to directly handle the water issues it’s been experiencing, and decided to cut the annual price hike by 4% as a symbolic thank you to bill-paying residents who dealt with surprising increases over the years.
To many, the 5% hike was expected, as Toronto’s water problems are nothing new, but remain unfunded by the higher levels of the Canadian government. The new waste costs will add to the additional money the city receives as well. Each one-bag waste bin now costs $30.49 annually, compared to the previous $17.72, while the largest capacity waste bins now cost $435.57 instead of $411.23. Discarded materials that exceed the weight limit will cost residents $8 each time.
Fortunately, Toronto’s price hikes have created a 5.2% budget increase for taxpaying families in residential homes, and even the fee for oversized waste will save citizens money that they otherwise would have spent on an independent waste removal company in Toronto.
With these new rates in place across the city, Toronto could be looking at the final fix to its water problem.
