Haulers out thousands after sewage tipping fee confusion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/05/2024 (906 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tache became the only area municipality to have different prices for sewage haulers dumping off their load at the Landmark lagoon as of the beginning of this year. That and an email from the RM that did not mention the higher price applied October to the end of May led to confusion that has cost local businesses thousands of dollars, according to owners.

The sewage haulers are also raising a stink after delays in getting their invoices from the RM had the businesses unwittingly undercharging Tache septic tank customers for an extra month.

“Ideally what would be great is the municipality to take those extra charges that we paid out of pocket … that should be erased. It should be moving forward now because you are the ones that didn’t give us the information we needed, therefore we didn’t tack it onto the bill when we provided the service,” said Susan Ste Marie of Moe’s Sewage Service.

The email in question was from an administrative assistant at the RM dated Dec. 13. It was sent to several area septic service companies in the Southeast known to serve Tache residents.

It described only some of the increased rates applied for by the RM, and revised and approved by the Public Utilities Board nearly three months earlier on Sept. 20, 2023:

“I am sending this email to advise that as of January 1st, 2024, as per the attached Public Utilities Board Order, the Municipality will be charging for all loads that are discharged into the Landmark Lagoon. Tipping fees will apply as follows: Loads up to 1,500 gallons will be $30. Loads over 1,500 gallons will be $60.”

It goes on to describe hauling log procedures and access to the lagoon. It ends with this:

“Should there be additional information regarding this change, I will notify you. Pete Skjaerlund, our Utilities Manager or myself will try to assist should you have any questions and/or concerns regarding this.”

The email had an attachment from the Public Utilities Board of a 22-page pdf document. It did not have the special $75 fee applied to all loads that are supposed to be billed monthly in the executive summary pricing chart. To find it, one has to scroll down to the middle of paragraph 12D on page 21:

“That between the dates of Oct. 16 to May 31st of each year, each septic hauler registered with the municipality shall only discharge wastewater into the lagoon on an emergency basis and as approved by the municipality. Each load discharged into the lagoon shall be charged $75 per load, to be billed monthly.”

The reasoning for the higher charge is that the lagoon can break down what is put in better in the summer. The Lorette lagoon is off limits to sewage haulers.

Stephane Massicotte of Rolly’s Septic Service acknowledges the change was deep in the document, but said having served the region he does not know of any other municipality that has different prices for different periods of the year, so he went by what was sent in the email to him from the RM. He estimates to be out about $1,000, and does not know any other hauler that caught the $75 charge near the back of the document.

He and other haulers have gone to RM staff and council to try to resolve the issue.

“It was just handled completely wrong,” said Massicotte.

He also wants to have the price in the email applied for the first two months, and start with the new price now that they know what it is.

“Instead, they’re taking the approach ‘well, we’ll give you 90 days to pay for this.’ That’s irrelevant, I’m still out,” said Massicotte.

“At least admit to some degree that you guys didn’t handle it properly.”

The RM is doing no such thing.

Mayor Armand Poirier did not respond to a request for an interview.

CAO Ken Allen responded via email that an interview would not be accommodated.

“We can’t accommodate an interview, but I can tell you that the update to wastewater tipping fees is essential for maintaining the integrity of our wastewater management system and ensuring compliance with regulations. RM of Tache residents and septic haulers are encouraged to stay informed about the update that is impacting our community.

“Due to the considerable volume of solids disposed into the Landmark Lagoon from the rural area of the municipality, it was necessary to incorporate a fair method of charging the rural area customers a rate to contribute towards the cost to treating the lagoons prior to discharging and or de-sludging the lagoon cells. These rates were determined by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) from the data provided after an independent rate study was completed,” wrote Allen.

It should be noted that the PUB’s executive summary itself reads that the board, “grants approval of the Rural Municipality of Tache (RM), Landmark Water and Wastewater Utility’s (Utility) application for revised water and wastewater rates, including revised tipping fee rates and methodology.”

CAO Allen did point out that the RM planned to implement this update over a four-year period starting Jan. 1, 2023.

“However, the PUB adjusted the timeline, with the update coming into effect this past January, so septic haulers are in the process of reviewing, communicating, and explaining what the update mean to their customers,” wrote Allen.

The haulers also brought up what this will mean for rural residents.

“It’s not fair not so much for us haulers, it’s now going to the customers – residents of the RM of Tache – that have a holding tank,” said Massicotte.

He said a 1,500 holding tank on average is emptied every three to six weeks, depending on the size of the family.

“If they’re calling me in winter now, we have to charge them $75 per service extra than what we charge,” explained Massicotte.

That ends up being $150 extra per month from October to May for some families.

The PUB report reads that until this January’s new fees, Tache charged haulers $100 per year total to use the lagoon.

Haulers have not heard anything back when it comes to any chance of addressing the late invoices and forgiving the $75 fees for January and February. Massicotte does have hope that a different price year-round that could lessen the burden on rural residents in the winter might be proposed.