Tiered water rates being considered for regional customers

By Lethbridge Herald on June 14, 2025.

Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald

The Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee of Lethbridge city council on Thursday voted unanimously to recommend approval of a bylaw that will establish tiered water rates for regional customers and provide a new definition for that term.

The SPC consists of the mayor and all members of council. Mayor Blaine Hyggen was absent.

Water, Wastewater general manager Jason Drenth requested the recommendation in a presentation to the SPC.

Bylaw 6494, a bylaw to amend Bylaw 3999 – Water Services Bylaw, will introduce that tiered service to customers outside the legal boundary of the city.

Drenth’s presentation stated the proposed rates are based off the cost of providing service to those regional customers, the change being made on a cost recovery basis. Lethbridge County has raised its water rates in anticipation of the increase.

Implementation of the bylaw would occur after third reading with rates being activated effective Sept. 1.

If council doesn’t approve the bylaw, then rates for regional customers would be lower than the cost to provide water service to them. The current bylaw doesn’t permit changes to regional customers without impacting customers in Lethbridge. A new definition of “regional customer” will delineate between commercial customers and customers outside of the city limits.

Drenth told the SPC even with the new rates, Lethbridge would still be charging less on average than other communities including Edmonton, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Okotoks.

Drenth said that 20 per cent of water produced in Lethbridge is supplied to regional customers.