Water, Sewer & Flood-Protection Overview

This page brings together everything the public can currently verify about Harrison Hot Springs’ water and sewer systems, infrastructure condition, and dike/seepage risks. Where the Village has not released information, that is clearly stated.

Current Water & Sewer Rates

Harrison bills utilities:

Annually for residential properties
Quarterly for commercial properties

Charges appear as four separate line items:

Water User Fee
Water Service Fee
Sewer User Fee
Sewer Service Fee

A simple combined rate table is not published by the Village.

Proposed Increases

Council has been told water and sewer rates may rise up to 16% over the next two years.

Media reporting indicates:

Average residential cost will rise to approx. $87/month
Roughly +$6.50/month per household

The Village has not published a detailed justification for the increase.

Reserve Levels & Long-Term Funding Gaps

Public financial reports confirm that:

Water and sewer systems have separate reserve funds
Reserve levels have historically been low relative to infrastructure age
No updated reserve amounts (2022–2025) are posted

There is no public long-term funding plan showing:

replacement timelines
projected costs
future funding gaps
required annual contributions

Major Upgrades, Replacements & Repairs

No current list of upcoming or overdue projects is published.

Key missing items:

Pipe replacement schedule
Treatment-plant upgrade timeline
Pump-station capacity report
Ten-year capital plan
Risk assessments for critical failures

The most recent Annual Report references only routine maintenance.

Infrastructure Age & Capacity Issues

Available information suggests:

Portions of the system are several decades old
Growth and tourism push the system near peak capacity at times
Staff have indicated reports exist, but none have been released

Missing public documents include:

pipe-age inventory
remaining lifespan estimates
inflow & infiltration (I&I) analysis
seasonal flow-capacity data
deferred-maintenance assessment

Why Water & Sewer Rates Are Increasing

Based on confirmed facts and industry standards, the most likely drivers are:

Aging infrastructure
Much of the system was built between the 1960s and 1990s.
Deferred maintenance
Council has acknowledged reports exist, but they haven’t been shared.
Low reserves
Older reports show limited reserve funds for replacement.
Rising construction costs
Replacement parts, piping, pumps, and plant equipment are now 30–60% more expensive than five years ago.
Regulatory pressures
Drinking-water and wastewater standards continue to tighten.
Population & tourism pressures
System demand is far higher than when it was designed.

Infrastructure Condition – What We Know

Aging Pipes

No public inventory exists, but standard replacement cycles (50–75 years) suggest many lines are nearing end-of-life.

Treatment Plant

No updated capacity report released. Historically “adequate but stressed during peak periods.”

Pump Stations

Routine maintenance mentioned; no published condition ratings.

Maintenance Cycles

Not publicly disclosed.

Deferred Repairs

Unknown. Rate-increase signals suggest a backlog exists.

Dike, Seepage & Flood Protection

Harrison’s dike and waterfront flood-protection system require clear, transparent reporting. Here is what is publicly confirmed:

Seepage Concerns

Past meeting notes reference seepage issues along the waterfront dike. Details are withheld.

Engineering Reports

Multiple engineering studies have been completed, including a full geotechnical assessment.
None have been released publicly.

Deployable Barriers

The Village has explored portable/deployable barriers as an option.
No cost-benefit or feasibility study is posted.

Grant Funding

No public confirmation of secured or pending provincial/federal flood-protection grants.

Safety Impacts

No modelling released on:

overtopping scenarios
breach risk
seepage-instability failure
emergency-response requirements

What’s Missing — and Why It Matters

Harrison residents currently do not have access to:

Infrastructure condition reports
Treatment-plant capacity studies
Ten-year replacement plans
Updated reserve levels
Dike safety modelling
Full seepage assessments
Cost-benefit analysis of flood-protection options

These documents are essential for understanding:

system reliability
future rate increases
long-term taxation impacts
flood safety
growth capacity
emergency resilience

Until these reports are released, the public cannot verify the system’s true condition or whether proposed increases are justified.

As New Documents Arrive

This page will be updated as:

FOI disclosures come in
new staff reports are released
capital plans or engineering studies become public
council makes decisions affecting the system