WC146 JanFeb 2026 - Magazine - Page 14
As our water infrastructure systems continue to age, we are seeing more and
more system failures that severely disrupt water services.
years ago when a push began for water utilities to become
financially self-sufficient, just like gas or electricutilities. This
topic could be another article of its own, but we have all seen
the shift to higher water bills and development charges that
reflect the full-cost recovery for providing the services. Some
are just covering the current operations and maintenance
costs, while others have advanced to collecting for the eventual
replacement costs.
This shift to full cost recovery naturally leads to concerns
about affordability.But what is affordability when it comes
to the most critical element we need to live? Is it worth as
much as your electric and gas services? Is it worth as much as
your internet, cable TV or phone service? We all need water,
regardless of our income status, so how do we create a system
that collects full costs while subsidizing those who need
assistance? Is this the responsibility of the municipality and the
utility (that are based on property taxes and service fees), or is
it the responsibility of the provincial government (that collects
income tax and handles income redistribution programs)? This
political discussion will continue, but for now, it is the utility
that must find this financial balance. No matter how we work
it out, utilities are still a fraction of the cost of bottled water,
safer, and better for the planet.
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WATER C AN ADA • JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2026
The Value of water
Municipal water utilities exist to serve the public, so public
attitudes and public support are vitally important. In the
industry, we have referred to this as the “Value of Water”
proposition and have conducted campaigns for many years to
maintain public trust in our services and public support for
the investments required. Again, by sharing information with
our consumers about our systems, how they work and how
much they cost, consumers can better understand why utilities
increase their water bill or ask for public grant funding. They
won’t ask for higher rates, or for their road to be torn up, but
at least they are more likely to accept the situation.
From 2007 to 2017, RBC Royal Bank ran a Blue Water
program that included a national survey on public attitudes
around water. Their survey report each year provided tremendous insight into what Canadians were thinking and
feeling—their appreciation of water, its value, and what they
were doing personally to conserve. Perhaps it wasn’t necessary
to survey every year, but every five years would be helpful to
track changes in attitudes. In a new report released in Nov.,
AquaAction, a Canadian nonprofit organization dedicated to
building a water-secure future, conducted a national poll and
shared the results. While their respondents ranked freshwater
as Canada’s greatest natural resource that needed safeguarding,
three quarters of respondents felt they were uninformed on the
issues. Again, the challenge for us in the industry is to share
more information with the communities we serve.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
Waterfront Toronto
DRINKING WATER
