The Council of the Township of Whitewater Region approve the entering into a two-year agreement renewal with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) commencing November 12, 2022.
Superintendent Steve Hodson presented Cleroux’s report that OCWA had been operating the Township’s three water treatment systems and water sampling since 2013, handling staffing and management and quality of the water systems.
“OCWA has been exceptional and paramount in getting our new sewage plant up and running, getting it up and running from an operations perspective.” he said. “I don’t think we could have got it up without them, to be honest.”
He reiterated that all the listed costs OCWA provided were fixed costs, and if the Township were to switch to self-management they would inherit the cost.
Councillor Mackay asked if the Councillors were accountable for the water system if they were to run the system itself, which Hodson confirmed they would take on that liability.
“I love OCWA, they’re a great company.” Mackay answered jokingly.
Councillor Olmstead asked if the cost of operation had anything to do with the number of hookups.
“The cost of operating will be the capacity of the plants and indirectly the number of hookups. It’s chemicals, it’s salary, it’s all the administrative stuff that we don’t do anymore, compliance, and the drinking water quality management standard” he said.
He said the quality management was a ‘one-person job in itself’.
Cleroux clarified that the costs largely arouse from the ‘chemicals used’ rather than staffing, and the increase for more users was ‘not drastic’.
Reeve Cathy Regier said she “would be in full support of this agreement. I think they do an outstanding job.”
“I think it’s smart use of our tax dollars to make use of this organization.” Councillor Nicholson said.
CAO Trembley said that other options would be more costly, and require ‘significant staffing increases’ that was not a good use of resources “when we are well-served by OCWA.”
Councillor McLaughlin asked for clarification on what the ‘cost-plus’ pricing meant, which Cleroux clarified meant that OCWA would provide a budget, and refund any money they did not use of that, or require Township to pay anything over that.
The motion was carried.
