City of Chilliwack to provide discount on residential utility bills due to shoddy curbside rollout

CHILLIWACK – After a review of the shoddy curbside collection rollout in May, the City of Chilliwack says city councillors have approved a one-time reduction of 50 per cent on residents’ utility bills.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, the city says residents will see this reduction on their May utility bills as a fee adjustment, with billing beginning May 15 instead of May 1.

The new curbside collection program officially took effect on Friday, May 1, but was marred by repeated issues involving E360S, the new contractor. Residents complained that their garbage, recycling or compost bins hadn’t been collected, compounded by the fact that old bins that weren’t picked up like the city promised in May. As a result, the city extended the pickup date for old bins and held an in-person drop-off in late May at the Chilliwack Coliseum.

The city also announced that due to additional resources in place, old bin collections are expected to wrap up this week. The city is asking residents to place old bins at the curb by 7 a.m. on the weekday after your collection day this week.