Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
A
. What is the ILRF paying for ?
Q.
The money in the Infrastructure Lifecycle Reserve Fund (ILRF) will be used to fund water and wastewater capital projects such as treatment process changes or major component replacements.
A . Why now?
Q.
All Ontario municipalities are required to have an Infrastructure Lifecycle Reserve Fund and although it may be called something slightly different in another community the purpose is the same. It proves to the Ontario government that the municipality has a plan and a way of paying for the capital costs required to keep the water system safe.
For the past ten years the Ontario government has been diligently putting strict water/wastewater regulations and policies in place. Ontario’s water must be clean and safe at all times.
Middlesex Centre is now required to show that its plan and funding reserves account is in place.
A
. What about the money I pay now for water and wastewater services?
Q.
The Ontario government mandates a user pay system for water and wastewater services. The regular charges on your bill reflect a payment formula based on the cost of supplying, treating and distributing potable water. This money is used to maintain the system and to fix any problems that might arise. This is operating money. As more users come online as pay for use customers the ILRF fees will also be shared.
A . Why are bills now bi-monthly?
Q.
The municipality wants to make certain you receive the best service possible and a bimonthly accounting will allow staff and yourself to identify any changes in meter readings. It is best to catch and investigate differences in consumption rates or “no reads” quickly. We want to be proactive and stay on top of the system. The switch to bimonthly billing is not related to the ILRF.