Utilities Service

The Town of Innisfail has produced a comprehensive fact sheet to help you better understand your utility charges. To download a copy of UNDERSTANDING YOUR 2021 UTILITY RATES, click here.

Town Utility Rates

The Town of Innisfail receives drinking water from the Red Deer River, via the Mountain View Regional Water Commission water treatment plant.

The Town has three pump stations, and three water storage reservoirs with a storage capacity of 2.5 million imperial gallons. The Utilities Department is responsible for the operation of the water storage and distribution system within the town. It includes:

Reservoir operations and maintenance – involves routine operation of various pumps and water levels at the Town’s reservoirs, daily reporting to Alberta Environment, and keeping the reservoirs in good working condition.
Water main flushing and repair – involves annual flushing out of all water mains and fixing breaks when they occur.
Hydrant maintenance and repair – involves checking all hydrants to ensure they are working and available for fire suppression.
Water meter reading, installation and repairs – involves monthly remote reading of water meters, request for installing or changing our water meters and repairing meters when needed.
The town has recently entered into a contract with Master Meter to replace all of the meter registers (smart end of the meter) which should be kicking off in the next 6 weeks or so.

Water Rate: $2.60 per cubic metre of water consumed

Flat Rate: $10.00 per month

Municipal Wastewater

In 2011, the Town of Innisfail began the process of connecting to the South Red Deer Regional Wastewater Line and in June 2015 became fully connected.

As a result of connecting to the regional line, our wastewater treatment plant has since been decommissioned and torn down and the storage lagoons are in the process of being reclaimed as industrial land.

The town's sanitary sewer collection system consists of a series of 8" and 10" gravity lines, connected to 12" or larger trunk lines as well as 8 waste water lift stations. The Utilities Department is responsible for the operation of the wastewater sewer system. Key activities include:

Lift station operations and maintenance – Involves checking pumps, valves, floats and actuators at all lift stations and ensuring they are functioning properly.
Waste water sewer main flushing – Involves using a high pressure flushing truck to clean out all waste water sewer mains on a regular basis in an attempt to reduce main blockages by keeping buildups to a minimum.
Flow monitoring – Involves routine measurement of the amount of sewage effluent in sample manholes throughout the year to determine the amount of flows into the sanitary sewer system.
Inflow and Infiltration study including a residential visitation program – Involves a “check-up” type visit to residences to assess the condition of their service connection and drainage.
Recreational Vehicle dumping station – In 2016 the town began construction on a new “pay station” rv dump which was completed in 2017 and opened prior to the May long weekend.

Sewer Rate: $3.45 per cubic metre of water consumed

Flat Rate: $10.00 per month

Garbage / Recycling

The Town offers contracted solid waste collection, as well as a Green Box household recycling program.

The Town of Innisfail contracts its solid waste collection services to Waste Management Services. Garbage and recycling is picked up weekly in the community, with household yard waste, hazardous waste and e-waste collected at various times throughout the year.

Residential Flat Rate: $20.00 per month

Residential Recycling: $5.00 per month

Click here for more information about community garbage, recycling and the Waste Transfer Station.

Setting up your Municipal Utilities Account

Before you move into your new home, call the Town Office at 403-227-3376 to set up your Utilities account.

A one-time connection fee of $30.00 will apply each time a new account is set up. This charge will appear on your first utility bill. Every month you will receive your combined Utilities Statement for your previous month's water usage, sewer services and garbage removal (i.e. In June you will receive a bill for May's usage).

Service may be disconnected after 60 days, following the date of billing on unpaid accounts.

Payment Options

E-Billing

To sign up for E-Billing, download the form below and return to the Town Office, 4943 - 53 Street.

Download Application for E-Billing

Town of Innisfail Utility Bills can be paid at the Town Office by cash, cheque, money order, or Interac. Third party cheques and credit cards are not accepted. Utility bills can also be paid at the bank, or through an Instant Teller, telephone banking, or internet banking. Contact your financial institution for more information.

Pre-Authorized Monthly Payment Plan

Another payment option is The Town's Pre-Authorized Monthly Utility Payment Plan. Customers can apply to have a monthly installment withdrawn from their bank account on their payment-due date each month. Please call the Town Office at 403-227-3376 for details.

Download Monthly Utility Payment Plan

Download Cancellation Form - Monthly Utility Payment Plan

Now, you can monitor and manage your own water consumption.

The Town's modernized system offers the ability to collect data in a much more efficient and detailed manner, ensuring reliable billing practices and giving you peace of mind.

Learn more here!

Water / Wastewater Rates - FAQ's

How can I tell if I have a water leak?

What is the biggest culprit of a water leak? Where should I start looking?

Common culprits include running toilets, leaky faucets r cracked pipes. Homes with upgrades such as hot tubs, underground sprinkler systems or reverse osmosis systems may also see an increase on their water bill.

If your bill goes up substantially, an you haven't used any more water than you normally would, give us a call at the Town Office and we'll help you pinpoint the source of the leak.

It's also important to note that it's normal for water use to spike at certain times of the year. For example, in summer you might water your lawn, drink more tap water, or fill a hot tub or swimming pool. Such activities will almost certainly result in a higher water bill. Quite simply put: the more water -related activity you engage in, the higher your bill will be. Please keep this in mind and try to limit your consumption accordingly.

What is the 2020 Plan?

When Innisfail was required to join the regional wastewater system in 2015, the Town’s annual wastewater operating costs rose to around $3.1 million. In order to cover that amount in full, wastewater rates need to rise to around $3.40 per cubic metre of water consumed. Feeling that an immediate increase of such proportions would be both unfair and unfeasible to Innisfail ratepayers, the Town devised the 2020 Plan — a plan to reach the break-even rate through gradual annual increases.

Through the 2020 Plan, the Town will implement a staggered increase (along with other increases incurred by the service provider) every year until the year 2020. At that point, the $3.40/m3 break-even point will have been reached. Until then, the Town will continue to pay the difference using funds from a Rate Stabilization Reserve, which was established to ‘soften the blow’ of the increases on Innisfail ratepayers. In 2016, approximately $785,000 of the Town’s total $3.1 million wastewater bill was paid using funds from this reserve. It’s expected that future years will see similarly sized contributions.

All in all, the 2020 Plan aims to introduce unavoidable rate increases in a manner that’s of minimal impact to Innisfail ratepayers. As well, it allows ratepayers plenty of time to absorb the increases, and to adjust their water consumption to a level that’s both affordable and suitable to their needs.

Household Guide to Water Efficiency