Stettler County council has deferred a ratepayer’s request to extend a municipal waterline nearly three kilometres to a single property, citing high capital costs.
During its Sept. 23 meeting, council reviewed a request for a rural water hookup at SW 17-38-16-W4, about 23 kms east of Stettler.
According to county administration, the ratepayer requested a municipal connection after drilling three unsuccessful water wells and the failure of an existing well.
However, because no county water main runs adjacent to the parcel, connecting the property requires installing approximately 2,760 metres of three-inch pipe, a flushing hydrant, and a meter lift.
Administration informed the council that initial cost estimates exceeded the county’s formal tendering threshold.
Specific budget estimates were withheld from public documents to protect competitive bidding should the project proceed to tender.
Under the County of Stettler bylaw, property owners pay a fixed initial connection fee of $20,000, leaving the municipality to cover all remaining construction costs from reserve funds.
Council noted that the county faces a growing queue of individual waterline requests scattered across the region.
Discussion touched on whether Stettler County should consider policy changes similar to natural gas co-operatives, where property owners help cover infrastructure costs exceeding a base threshold.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
