Unpopular but necessary choice

Every town, city and village across Canada today is grappling with deteriorating sewer pipes, water pipes, and roadways. All have a projected life expectancy and in every location, today most are at the end of their life.
But it seems sewer and water are only important to taxpayers when toilets can’t be flushed, and water cannot be consumed from a tap.
In Fort Frances, we have not had to travel far or wait many months to see another road cave in, sewer line collapse or water line break. The core of the centre of the community’s underground infrastructure is now over 100 years old.
Historically, the town has attempted to put monies in reserve for sewer and water repairs and replacement, but in recent years, council have had to depend on more senior levels of government to actually fund those projects.
In new subdivisions, homeowners pay to have sewer and water go down their streets and branch off to their homes. Then the community agrees to their maintenance and upkeep.
Every community now has to consider that each of those services have a finite lifespan and when those services have reached the end of it, homeowners where those services are run should bear the cost of their replacement.
It is a radical idea, and a costly one for already cash-strapped taxpayers, but there really is no alternative. Legislation for councils to follow this procedure already exists in Ontario’s Municipal Act.
The other idea would be to increase water and sewage rates by as much as 10 times the current rates to fund the necessary projects in Fort Frances.
There is really no other way to replace and modernize all the aging sewer and water pipes in Fort Frances.
It may be a radical idea to think that when sewer and water pipes wear out, the users should pay to replace them, but just as a roof wears out on a home, the homeowner must pay to have it replaced.