Water & Sewer

Residents and businesses outside hamlets provide their own water from ground water wells, trucked in to fill cisterns or from rural water co-operatives.  Water co-ops providing treated potable water are Westside (servicing south and west of Medicine Hat), South Dunmore, and East Cypress (east of Veinerville).  Elkwater (north of Elkwater Lake) and Bullshead (Eagle Butte area) provide untreated raw water.


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2023 Utility Rates (all rates on this page are bi-monthly unless stated otherwise)
Water - Base and Capital fee plus consumption

 Base Fee $32.00
 Capital Fee $12.00
 Tier 1 (0.00-35m3) City +$0.75/m3 ($2.2120)
 Tier 2 (35.01-105.00m3) City +$1.00/m3 ($2.4620)
 Tier 3 (greater than 105.00m3) City +$1.30/m3 ($2.7620)
Truck fill stations
  • Hilda (#66 2nd Ave.) - coin operated
  • Seven Persons (#603 Railway St.) - coin operated
  • Dunmore/Eagleridge (#5028 Township Road 120) - pre-pay, requires an account
  • Irvine (#294 Francis St.) - pre-pay, requires an account


Sewer

Sanitary sewer systems operate in all hamlets except Dunmore and Walsh which use septic fields or septic tanks. Veinerville sewer system is owned and operated by Cypress County but is billed by the City of Medicine Hat.

Sewer Rates for all hamlets except Dunmore, Walsh and Veinerville:

Residential$100.00
Commercial$145.00
 
See the Water and Sewer Bylaw or Master Rates Bylaw for more information.
 
Electric
Desert Blume, Dunmore and Veinerville - City of Medicine Hat (403) 529-8111
Hilda, Irvine, Schuler, Seven Persons, Suffield and Walsh - EPCOR 310-4300 or
Customer Choice 310-4822

Natural gas
All hamlets except Veinerville - Apex Utilities 1 (866) 222-2067 or Forty Mile Gas (403) 526-7718
Veinerville - City of Medicine Hat (403) 529-8111
For all services in Elkwater please contact the Cypress Hills Provincial Park office in Elkwater (403) 893-3777

Utility billing and payment
Only an owner which is the person or persons shown on the title of land serviced by a water or sewer system can sign on to a utility account.

Utilities are invoiced every two months. A billing cycle covers from the first day of the two month period to the last day of the second month in that period. (Example: March 1 through April 30, would be billed on May 1, due May 31). Failure to receive or loss of utility bill cannot be accepted for reason of non-payment.

In an effort to make utility billing more convenient for our customers the county now gives residents the option to sign up for utilities E-billing. With E-billing a customer will receive an email with their current bill attached, rather than receive a paper copy in the mail. Signing up for E-billing does not change how customers pay their bill, just how they receive it. Utilities E-billing sign up.

A 1% penalty will be applied to all outstanding amounts not paid by the due date. A courtesy reminder letter will be sent to the delinquent account holder advising the owner that the delinquent balance will be transferred to the taxes unless the account is paid in full by the date specified in the letter. This letter shall be deemed to have been received seven (7) days after it is sent.

If, after the date specified in the courtesy reminder letter, the account remains unpaid, a non-payment fee of $80 will be added to the property owner's taxes.

Utilities can be paid by cash, cheque, debit, drop box at the county office, preauthorized payments, internet banking and through most financial institutions. Please allow 5 business days for processing if paying by mail, via the internet or through a financial institution.
 
Agreements & forms
To sign up for utilities, set up e-billing or preauthorized payment, please visit Online forms and registrations.

Utilities Consumer Advocate
Visit the Utilities Consumer Advocate website to compare electricity and gas prices in your area, view historical rates, or get help resolving water and energy utility related issues.