Zurich Water Line
The Municipality completed construction of a new waterline connecting Zurich to the Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System (LHPWSS) in 2023, alongside the County of Huron's project to reconstruct Zurich Main Street. The work was completed by Birnam Excavating Ltd. With the connection to LHPWSS, the municipal well that previously supplied water to Zurich was decommissioned.
Final costs were finalized in 2024. Option notices for the capital charge were mailed to users connected to the Zurich water line the week of May 6th, 2024. Options notices were due back to the municipal office by June 18, 2024. If no option notice was sent back to the Municipality, the capital charge was added to the property tax account and will be collected, with interest, over the next 20 years. For those who did not pay the capital charge in full, the capital charge will now show on your property tax billings for 2025 and going forward.
The rate secured by the municipality for the capital charge was finalized at the August 12, 2024 Regular Council Meeting. The rate secured is 4.38%, amortizing over 20 years. The below table details the Total Capital charge including interest and what the annual amount will be.
| Description of Charge | Total Capital Charge (including interest) | Annual Amount (to be applied beginning in 2025 and ending December of 2044) |
|---|---|---|
| Full capital charge | $17,925.26 | $896.26 |
| Three-quarter capital charge | $13,443.94 | $672.20 |
| One-half capital charge | $8,962.63 | $448.13 |
| One-quarter capital charge | $4,481.32 | $224.07 |
Further explanation of the capital charge can be found in the August 12, 2024 council report and its attachments.
If you have property that is not currently connected to the Zurich water line but may connect in the future, you will be responsible for paying a a connection charge. You are not responsible for paying the capital charge.
Vacant lots will pay their share of the Zurich water line when their lot is developed through the collection of Development Charges.
In May 2019, B.M. Ross and associates hosted an information session on behalf of the Municipality where three alternatives to supply the Village of Zurich with water were discussed. In October 2019, the Municipality conducted a public survey to determine the preferred option. Council gave direction to move forward with engineering in December 2020, with the goal of completing the work and potentially tendering alongside Huron County's reconstruction of Zurich Main Street in 2022, to save on costs.
Staff held a virtual public meeting on February 8, 2022, where more feedback was collected and information about project costs and timelines was shared. The meeting was also livestreamed to the Municipality’s YouTube page. On March 21, 2022, Council awarded the joint tender between the Municipality of Bluewater and the County of Huron to Birnam Excavating Ltd. for the Zurich Water Line Project. Construction began in 2022 with the project being substantially completed in 2023. Project costs were still received up to and paid into 2024.
Throughout the project, updates were shared through council reports, a subscriber newsletter, and the municipal website and social media accounts.
Municipality of Bluewater
14 Mill Avenue
ZURICH, ON
N0M 2T0
Phone: 519-236-4351
or 1-877-236-4351
Fax: 519-236-4329
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