August 20th, 2025

We’re pleased to share that we are over the halfway point of the 72-hour pump test on our new well (Well #3).

Thanks to your conservation efforts this past week, along with recent weather conditions, Level 2 Water Restrictions are proving sufficient to complete this critical test. 🙌 Please continue to use water wisely—it’s essential that the pump test run without interruption.

We are hoping to be able to lift water restrictions on Friday and return the splash pad back to full service. We will advise of any changes on restrictions Friday.

✨ A huge shout-out to our Utility Department for their incredible efforts over the past several weeks—and for going above and beyond this week by monitoring the pump test 24/7 to ensure everything runs smoothly.

👉 Other reminders:

Continue to follow NBEMO and GNB on social media. The latest information and updates on all provincial level restrictions will be posted there and on the Fire Watch web page at gnb.ca/firewatch

We thank everyone for their continued cooperation.

Friday, August 15th, 2025

Water System Update – 72 Hour Pump Test & Water Quality

Preparations for the 72-hour pump test on our new well are now complete. The stress test was not completed today and will be performed Monday, August 18. The 72-hour pumping may begin on Monday afternoon following a successful completion of the stress test if time permits. Otherwise, it will commence on Tuesday.

🚰 What to Expect:

      ⚠ The stress test will now happen Monday, Aug 18.
     🔧 Monday - Friday, Aug 18–22 – 72-hour pumping will begin as soon as possible next week
     🚫 Level 2 water restrictions remain in effect – thank you for conserving!

We appreciate the community’s strong cooperation so far conserving water, and we encourage everyone to keep up the efforts through the weekend. We also ask everyone to please stay tuned Monday for updates, in particular if we need to move to Level 3 Restrictions for the duration of the 72-hour test.

💡 Water Quality - Clarification!

Due to higher-than-normal amounts of aeration in the water distribution system from recent maintenance on our manganese filtration system, some customers water may look cloudy or milky. This is due to tiny air bubbles. The appearance is temporary, the water will clear, and it is safe to drink. It may take a number of days for the aeration to naturally work its way out of the system, or until flushing activity can resume. Flushing is currently paused due to low water levels and to prepare for the 72-hour pump test.

🔹 Current Water Restriction Guidelines from the Province for all Community Members:

• avoid washing vehicles

• avoid watering lawns

• avoid filling swimming pools

• use washing machines and dishwashers less frequently and with full loads only

• take quick showers to minimize water used for washing

Thank you for continuing to help protect our water supply and support the success of the 72-hour pump test for our new well.

The Water & Sewer Report Card is a comprehensive assessment that evaluates the performance, reliability, and sustainability of our water supply and sewage disposal systems. This initiative aims to inform the public about the condition of our critical infrastructure, identify areas for improvement, and highlight our successes in maintaining a safe and healthy environment.

2025 Application for The Water & Sewer Utility Assistance Program.

The program provides a 15% discount off your Water & Sewer bill to assist fixed income families in managing utility expenses.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be the resident of the self contained home as of January 1, 2025
• Have filed a 2024 New Brunswick income tax return.
• Have a total combined family income of $53,300.00 or less for both the applicant, spouse or common-law partner as shown on line 26000 of the income tax return for the prior year.
• Provide a copy of your 2025 Tax Notice of Assessment or proof of 2024 income.
• Individuals may obtain an application form on The Town of Woodstock web page or pick up at The Town of Woodstock Town Hall, 824 Main Street Woodstock or Ayr Motor Centre Payment Centre 105 Connell Park Road, or by calling 506-325-4615 or email: utility@woodstocknb.ca

Applications may be submitted from April 1, 2025, to June 30th, 2025

Residents may set up Equalized Payments or other payment structures by contacting the Utility Department directly at 506-325-4615 or via email utility@woodstocknb.ca

 We offer several convenient payment options:

- E-transfer: receivables@town.woodstock.nb.ca 

- Online Banking: Please set us up as a payee. 

- Telephone Banking 

- In-person or over the phone, Debit/Credit payments, accepted include debit/interact, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Union Pay, UCB by walk in or contacting 506-325-4656, 506-325-4615, or 506-325-3993. 

- Service New Brunswick Online Payments: Scan the QR code on the bill stub for quick access. 

- Web eServices: Scan the QR code on your bill, locate your key code, follow the instructions for quick registration. 

- Payments by cheque or money order can be mailed or dropped off at Town Hall or the AYR Motor Centre or placed in our drop boxes located outside the main entrance of either location. 

To ensure we have your current contact information, please send any updates to utility@woodstocknb.ca or call 506-325-4615.

It is essential to recognize that the increase in water and sewer rates is a crucial measure to ensure that the municipality can continue to offer reliable, high-quality water and sewer services to both residents and businesses. These rate adjustments will enable us to invest in vital infrastructure improvements, fulfill regulatory requirements, and support the long-term sustainability of our water and sewer systems.

Following the Council's approval of the proposed 2025 rate adjustments during the third and final reading on March 11th, these changes will take effect for the billing cycle commencing on June 1, 2025. We are committed to taking the necessary steps to maintain and enhance our community's essential services.

Class	Current	2025	2026	2027	2028
Residential, Tier 1, Annual	$550.00	$650.00	$725.00	$800.00	$850.00
Residential, Tier 2, Annual (default)	$725.00	$775.00	$800.00	$825.00	$850.00
Residential, Tier 3, Annual	$825.00	$825.00	$850.00	$850.00	$850.00
Residential, Tier 4, Annual	$925.00	$925.00	$925.00	$925.00	$850.00
Residential, added rental unit	$350.00	$400.00	$450.00	$500.00	$550.00
Multi Unit, Annual per Unit	$350.00	$400.00	$450.00	$500.00	$550.00

 

For residential property billing, a flat rate tier will be billed on June 1st and will account for that calendar year. Tier placements have been determined based on historical usage data from 2023. Going forward, all new property owners or new residential dwellings will automatically be placed in the average Tier #2.

Residents may set up Equalized Payments or other payment structures by contacting the Utility Department at 506-325-4615 or via email at utility@woodstocknb.ca.

Additionally, individuals receiving a water and sewer bill may qualify for our discount assistance program. Households with a total income of $53,000 or less can complete an application. Upon approval of eligibility, a 15% discount will be granted. Applications will be available for pick-up at Town Hall (824 Main St., Woodstock) or the Payment Centre at Ayr Motor Centre (105 Connell Park Road) from April 1st to June 30th. Online applications can be completed via this link: https://woodstocknb.ca/applications. Completed applications can be submitted via email to utility@woodstocknb.ca or delivered to Town Hall or the AMC Payment Centre.  The household income threshold will be adjusted annually based on the Canadian Revenue Agency standards, and residents are required to submit a new application each year.

The billing process for commercial properties, bills will be issued semi-annually on March 1st and September 1st. Public Works will read meters in February and August, with payments for water and sewer bills due on the last day of March and the last day of September each year. Low consumption commercial properties will be billed at a flat rate of $650 per year (Tier 1), with staff conducting reviews and determinations as necessary.

Business metered water rates will be set at $5.88 per 1,000 imperial gallons or $1.55 per cubic meter. The sewer rate will include a minimum base rate of $162.50 semi-annually (or $325 annually) for usage up to 40,000 gallons. Higher consumption sewer users will be charged a metered rate based on consumption tiers: for 40,001 to 100,000 gallons, the rate will be $2.29 per 1,000 gallons (0.5038000/m3) ; for 100,001 to 1,000,000 gallons, $2.05 per 1,000 gallons (0.4510000/m3); and for usage over 1,000,000 gallons, $1.93 per 1,000 gallons (0.4246000m3).

 

Woodstock has recently completed an in-depth Utilities Review to ensure the long-term sustainability of the water and wastewater infrastructure. Based on the findings of this review, the Town Staff has recommended changes to utility rates, including an increase for water and wastewater services, a municipal water restriction protocol.

The Town of Woodstock Council is proposing new By-Law 160.2 A By-law Regulating the Use of the Water and Sewer System of the Town of Woodstock and The Rates to be Charged Therefore.  This by-law would replace existing By-Law 160.1 which is applicable in Ward 4 only.

For the complete bylaw visit webpage: https://woodstocknb.ca/bylaws-policies

The Town of Woodstock water is closely monitored by a water team that follows a strict Department of Environment and local Government approval to operate, making sure chlorine samples meet or exceed set limits daily, and weekly samples are taken by trained staff and submitted to an accredited lab to ensure the water is safe to drink. All results are closely monitored by the lab, town staff and The Provincial Department of Health.

The Town of Woodstock has two wells 150 ft deep, a well house and a water treatment facility located on an island in the middle of the St. John River housing Noth America's First Biological Manganese Removal filter.  Treated drinking water flows through an extensive network of almost 54 KM of pipe. The Town has 3 water storage tanks holding 85,000 Gal (3217m3) and 5 booster stations to provide adequate water pressure. These parts of infrastructure assist in transporting water throughout the system and to your homes and places of work.

There are several reasons why a water main break can occur - a change in temperature, excessive pressure, age of the pipe, etc. If you notice a water main break, call the Utility Dept. direct at 506-325-4615 or email: utility@WoodstockNB.ca

• For after-hours emergencies call 506-325-4896 Fire Department Dispatch, and they will report the problem Utility.

Report a Watermain Break - There are several reasons why a water main break can occur - a change in temperature, excessive pressure, age of the pipe, etc.  If you notice a water main break:

• During regular office hours (8am-4:30pm) call the Front Desk at 506-325-4656 or the Utility Administrative Department at 506-325-4615.
• For after-hours emergencies call 506-325-4896 Fire Department Dispatch, and they will report the problem Utility.

We know you rely on us to provide reliable access to clean and safe water. When outages happen, we work to notify you and restore service as quickly as possible. Updates if required during a water break are posted on social media. Boil order notices are handed out door to door where possible and posted on social media and posted on website.

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Water main breaks are often repaired under positive pressure to prevent boil orders sometimes leading to localized low water pressure and turbid (dirty) water. In some cases, water has to be completely shut off in order to do the repair often leading to localized boil orders, in this case The Provincial Department of Health is involved implementing and rescinding a boil water order.  All repairs are done as soon as possible.

 The time it takes to fix a break varies due to several factors including digging in frozen ground, frost depth, how quickly the break can be located, the size of the break and the current weather conditions. 

In the event of a boil order FAQ Link:

Here are some things you can do to reduce water consumption. 

• Repair a leaking toilet. Did you know up to 200 gallons of water per day can be wasted through a leaky toilet? That’s a tanker trailer per month! If you suspect a leaky toilet, do the leaky toilet test.  Test kits can be picked up at The Town Hall, 824 Main Street or drop about 4 to 5 drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. You may want to use a dark color such as blue or red. Wait 20 to 30 minutes and then survey the toilet bowl. If the colored water appears in the bowl within 15 minutes, there is a leak in the flapper valve.

• Collect rain water for watering flower beds and gardens.

• Reduce shower time (3 out of 4 adult Canadians spend 5 minutes or more in the shower. Reducing your shower by 2 minutes will save 13 to 40 liters (depending on your shower head). 

• Minimize loads of laundry. Each load will save 50 to 90 (or more) liters.

• Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full. Did you know a dishwasher before 1994 can use about 9-14 gallons of water per load?  New standard HE dishwashers use less then 4 gallons every load.

• Turn off water taps while engaged in tasks such as shaving and brushing teeth.  Turning off water while doing this saves up to 8 liters per minute.

• Use minimal water in the sink for washing dishes and the bathtub for bathing.

• Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave instead of running water over it.

Early in 2005 Woodstock introduced a new 136,000 m3 aerated wastewater treatment lagoon. This lagoon was designed to handle Woodstock's community plus future growth and still maintain highly treated levels of effluent following federal regulations, monitored by town staff and Department of Environment and local Government.  All wastewater reaches the lagoon by a network of 55 km of gravity main lines, 8 sewage lift stations and almost 3KM of force main pipes.  Lift stations which feed the force mains are checked daily to ensure they are working correctly.

As a homeowner and resident, you share a responsibility to use our sewage system responsibly. It’s simple—only human waste and toilet paper. Nothing else. No flushable wipes!

What not to flush:

• flushable personal wipes
• cooking grease or animal grease

• rags

• hair

• kitty litter

• solvents, paint

• sanitary napkins

• tampon applicators, plastic

• tampon applicators, cardboard

• tampons

• disposable diapers

• condoms

It doesn’t matter what it says on the package, these items are not flushable. They do not biodegrade during the time spent in the wastewater collection and treatment systems; they cause blockages in sanitary sewer service connections, mains and lift stations, causing backups and unnecessary discharges to the environment, resulting in thousands of dollars in maintenance and repair costs each year in our Town.

 Every community has areas where sanitary lines have little or no grade, tree root infiltration, or for other reasons can be a problem area.  We realize that these problems do not go away and choose to take a proactive approach, we periodically flush sewer mains with pressurized water and vacuum from a flushing truck. The process removes any build up of excess debris.  During this process water could be expelled from fixtures in your home such as toilets.  Crews should be made aware of these so pressures can be adjusted. Risk can be mitigated by flushing after each use and keeping toilet closed.

If you experience a plugged sewer, call Utility Dept. direct 506-325-4615 or after hours 506-325-4896 or email: utility@WoodstockNB.ca so we can determine where the problem exist.  An important item to check with your service line leaving your house or building is if it has a back water valve.  Back water valves are required by Town by-laws and will greatly reduce the odds of water backing up into your basement.

 A storm sewer is a separate sewer from the sanitary sewer.  While the sanitary sewer removes wastewater from your house, the storm sewer removes rainwater from the streets and consists of over 12km of pipe in the town. Although in some areas of town these sewers are combined, steps are being taken to separate storm water from the sewer system.  It costs extra money to treat rainwater when it is not necessary; rain water that enters a storm sewer has outfalls that can discharge into river & streams, where wastewater goes to the lagoon.