High water bills lead to expanded role for advocate’s office
Alberta utilities consumer watchdog will now serve as third party in disputes
A host of complaints about skyrocketing water bills from Calgary residents last year were a “catalyst” for the NDP government to beef up the responsibilities of Alberta’s utilities consumer advocate, the Service Alberta minister said Wednesday.
Stephanie McLean tabled legislation Wednesday to expand the advocate’s mandate to allow it to get involved in disputes around water, sewage and drainage services.
The advocate’s office, which already has a role in consumer issues around electricity and natural gas utilities, will serve as a neutral third party that can mediate conflicts over water bills, said McLean.
“This bill ensures the public has a trusted avenue to turn to,” she said at an announcement in Fort Saskatchewan, a community also plagued by water issues.
McLean told reporters there have been a series of consumer complaints about inexplicably high water bills across the province.
In Calgary, a number of concerns over skyrocketing water bills from Enmax, detailed in Postmedia stories, prompted a city review in 2017.
“That situation in Calgary, for me, definitely, operated as a catalyst,” said McLean, who said the measure fits with the NDP government’s consumer protection agenda.
“We see that kind of thing and we take action.”
Options for the advocate in a dispute include asking the utility to investigate possible technical problems or fix a mistaken bill. It could also provide customers with information on water conservation or negotiate a repayment plan.
“Our staff has extensive experience dealing with natural gas and electricity billing disputes,” said Chris Hunt, executive director of the UCA. “A lot of the same issues come to light, be it metering issues, be it a glitch in the billing system, be it just explaining to the consumer what actually happened in the circumstance. So the extension to water utilities is a very natural evolution for the office.”
Unlike with energy utilities, the advocate will not have power to compel utilities to take action on a water dispute because municipalities remain the regulator under statute.
But the government believes the office will have substantial persuasive power if it gets involved.
“This is not meant to be a heavy hand. This is meant to be a third way,” said McLean.
The City of Calgary responded to water complaints last year by reviewing hundreds of bills and setting up a new adjustment process. Nearly $1 million was paid out in adjustments in 2016 and 2017.
A fraction of the city’s 345,000 water utility customers occasionally experience higher than normal water consumption, in most cases due to undetected leaks in toilets, irrigation systems or hot tubs. But around 20 customers each month receive big water bills where the cause can’t be determined, according to city data.
The water utility is dispatching a technician for home visits in rare cases where the cause for the high bills can’t be determined, at a cost to the city of around $600 per visit.
Ward 14 Coun. Peter Demong said despite the city taking action, he sees value in the government having the UCA involved.
“If there is a concern with your water bill, with your water anything, they will facilitate and mediate,” he said.
“More importantly, they will be a source of information.”