Every year the Town of Golden sets utility rates at the lowest amount possible to deliver current services, while still providing enough funding to maintain, upgrade and repair infrastructure.
Starting in 2026, water and sewer utility rates will increase following a comprehensive review of our water and wastewater fees and systems. These adjustments are necessary to maintain reliable services and avoid costly infrastructure failures.
What does this mean for the average single-family home?
- Water: The annual rate will increase by $100 (from $384 in 2025 to $480.30 in 2026). The rate per cubic metre will rise from $0.95 to $1.19. That’s just $1.19 for approximately 50 five-gallon (20L) containers of water (check out the graphic).
- Sewer: The annual rate will increase by $70 (from $482.83 in 2025 to $555.25 in 2026).
Why is this happening?
- To fund currently identified projects and build reserves to renew and maintain existing infrastructure and prevent catastrophic failures like pump or lift station breakdowns. This includes existing infrastructure: 4 groundwater wells (with a fifth on the way), 5 reservoirs, 7 lift stations, one sewage treatment plan and 39km of water pipes and 36km of sewer lines. This work makes sure our systems are reliable so that you can turn on your tap, flush your toilet, and avoid sewer backups.
- To fund essential new infrastructure projects for systems security and making sure we can maintain current service levels for our community. Utility fees also play an important role in leveraging higher-level government funding for larger infrastructure renewal initiatives.
Utility fees support current infrastructure, regardless of growth. Investing now means protecting our water and sewer systems for the future.
Here are the services that your utility bill pays for:
Water Services rates and service charges support:
- Four groundwater wells with a combined total design pumping capacity of 76 litres per second.
- Five reservoirs with a total storage capacity of about 6.96 Mega Litres.
- Maintenance of approximately 39 kilometres of water pipes.
- Ongoing work to protect our water with a robust groundwater protection program.
- Operations crew ready to respond to address service interruptions.
- Water services projects such as the new Well 7 in Dogwood Park.
Sewer Services rates and service charges support:
- A collection system that has the capacity to process 4251 cubic metres per day of effluent.
- Maintenance of approximately 36 kilometres of sewer lines.
- Seven lift stations and one sewage treatment plant.
- Operations crews ready to respond to address service interruptions.
- Sewer services projects, such as the Pine Drive sewer main alternate alignment project and future upgrades to the sewage treatment plant.
To learn more about the Town’s water and sewer infrastructure and planning for the future, visit www.golden.ca/waterandsewer
Garbage and Recycling Services:
- Garbage and recycling is collected from over 1500 households in Golden.
- Garbage (bear-resistant black bins) is collected every week and recycling (blue bins) every two weeks.
- Management of curbside collection for single-family residential recycling under the Recycle BC program.
- For garbage and recycling tips, visit golden.ca/curbsidecollection or visit recyclebc.ca/what-can-i-recycle/ to learn more about what you can recycle.
In 2025, the Town of Golden adopted a new Waste Management and Collection Services Bylaw. This bylaw outlines the services and fees for providing waste and recycling collection services in Golden for 2025-2027. To establish rates, the Town takes into consideration contract costs for curbside collection, landfill tipping fees, RecycleBC credits, and reserve contributions for bin replacements and additions for community growth.
Utility bills arrive every year in February in the mail. Payment is due March 31, 2026. If you do not receive one, please contact the Town offices at 250-344-2271 or email utilities@golden.ca.
To learn more about payment options for your utility bill, visit www.golden.ca/utilitybills