Sherwood Park residents concerned after council approved demo of water fill station

Some people living in Strathcona County say they're worried their water bills could spike in coming years with the shutdown of a water filling station.

Following Strathcona County council’s move to demolish a water fill station in Sherwood Park, residents have raised concerns about how it will affect their water bills.

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The Sherwood Drive fill station is nearing the end of its life and would need to be refurbished or rebuilt. Council approved to move water services to Ardrossan to avoid $11.5 million in replacement costs.

“It’s a huge impact,” said Sherwood Park resident Ann Colburne. “For every water tank fill-up, that means an extra 30 kilometres beyond what we’re driving now to fill up our tanks, and that’s an extra 20 minutes on top of 15 minutes they’re already driving to come here.”

The cost to replace the facility would be carried by users – mainly in the county’s Ward 6 who aren’t connected to Sherwood Park’s water system – and would increase the bulk water rate from $2.70 per cubic metre to $4.50 per cubic metre.

Jason Casault, director of utilities with Strathcona County, said the option to move water services to Ardrossan was the cheapest.

“Ultimately, that option is the lowest-cost option that was put forward in relation to the group that benefits the most, which is the bulk water users, those who get their water directly or indirectly from bulk water stations,” said Casault.

Other options put forward to council included rebuilding the Sherwood Drive fill station and reducing services.

While council can’t control what trucking companies charge for delivering water to residents, Kevin Cole, deputy chief administrative officer for infrastructure and planning services with Strathcona County, said a review indicated that services costs could be reduced.

“The additional drive time that the trucking companies should take is (about) 10 minutes in each direction at a maximum, and that’s from those locations that are further away from Ardrossan,” said Cole. “If a commercial hauler is able to deliver water to multiple residents at one tank or load, they would be able to reduce that cost.”

Colburne said water haulers are quoting residents a 60-per-cent increase in water costs.

“If you’re a family of four, that’s going to be over $2,000 a year extra just for water on top of what they’re already paying today,” she said. “Councillors heard the information they were given, but they didn’t understand the process of what it takes to get the water from here to our homes and all the costs involved in that.

“We don’t feel that the impact of individual residents and families and neighbourhoods was really considered.”

Cole said residents can visit Stratchona.ca to learn more about bulk water rates as well as council’s decision.

Demolition of the fill station is anticipated for 2029.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny