Beginning April 1st, 2026, the Town of Coaldale is adjusting its water consumption rate (the per-cubic-metre charge on your utility bill) to reflect an increase in the wholesale cost of treated water that Coaldale purchases through the Lethbridge Regional Water Services Commission (LRWSC).
What’s Changing on April 1st, 2026?
As of April 1st, 2026, Coaldale’s water consumption rate will increase to $1.918 per cubic metre (m³).
This rate will supersede and replace the previously approved 2026 rate of $1.389m³ , which was set by Coaldale Town Council during its December 17, 2024, Special Council Meeting, and came into effect on January 1st, 2026.
Why Is the Town Increasing the Rate?
- After completing two cost-of-service studies in 2023, the City of Lethbridge discovered that water consumption rates being charged to its regional customers were below the actual cost of providing service - meaning that expenses associated with water treatment, pumping and storage, and the ongoing maintenance and lifecycle renewal of underground infrastructure were not being fully recovered through the sale of treated water.
- As a result, in September, 2025, Lethbridge City Council amended Bylaw 3999, the City’s Water Services Bylaw, to establish new water consumption rates for the City’s regional customers, including the Lethbridge Regional Water Services Commission—the regional wholesaler through which the Town of Coaldale purchases its treated water.
- On January 1st, those new rates came into effect which, in turn, triggered a need for Coaldale Town Council to adjust the Town’s own water consumption rate.
What Council Decided (And Why the Effective Date Is April 1st)
- At its February 2nd, 2026 Regular Council Meeting, Coaldale Town Council approved an updated 2026 Utility Rate Bylaw and set an implementation date of April 1st, 2026 to give residents and businesses advance notice and time to understand the change.
What This Means for Your Utility Bill
- Under a rate of $1.918/m³:
- residences that used 10m³/month in 2025 will see an average increase of $9.67/month on their utility bills in 2026.
- residences that used 20m³/month in 2025 will see an average increase of $16.34/month on their utility bills in 2026.
- businesses that used 100m³/month in 2025 will see an average increase of $88.70/month on their utility bills 2026.
- businesses that used 200m³/month in 2025 will see an average increase of $155.40/month on their utility bills 2026.
Timeline of Events
- September 2025: City of Lethbridge amends its Water Services Bylaw to change regional customer water rates.
- January 1st, 2026: New wholesale rates take effect for regional customers, impacting the Commission and its customers (the Town of Coaldale).
- February 2nd, 2026: Coaldale Town Council approves an updated local consumption rate and sets April 1st as the effective date.
- April 1st, 2026: Coaldale’s updated water consumption rate of $1.918/m³ comes into effect.
Questions
If you have questions about your utility bill, please contact the Town Office at 403-345-1300.
If you have questions about the City of Lethbridge’s wholesale water rate increase for regional customers, please contact the City of Lethbridge at 403-320-3111.