Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is stormwater?

A: Stormwater is rainwater and melted snow that runs off lawns, streets and other land surfaces. This runoff is supposed to be absorbed by plants and soils or make its way back to ponds and streams. However, more hard surfaces — such as pavement, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks and roofs — especially in urban areas, prevent this runoff from naturally soaking into the ground.

Q: What are the impacts of stormwater?

A: Stormwater has several environmental impacts. Excess runoff that doesn’t soak into the ground can pick up pollutants such as oil, pesticides, bacteria and trash before flowing into storm drains, drainage ditches and creeks. This water is not cleaned at a treatment plant first and it doesn’t get naturally filtered by the soil before it flows into rivers and lakes that supply our drinking water. It can cause higher and faster water flow during storms, resulting in flooding and property damage. It can erode rivers and streams and contribute waste and debris downstream. And it can also impact water quality and result in the reduction and loss of aquatic life and diversity.

Q: What is Vaughan doing to manage stormwater?

A: Stormwater management programs help protect the environment, property and water quality. The City provides several services to manage our stormwater system, including:

testing the quality of stormwater before it enters streams and creeks
inspecting stormwater outlets to ensure there are no blockages to water flow
maintaining and repairing the hundreds of kilometres of pipes that make up the public drainage system to prevent backups and counteract the impact of spills
finding solutions for cleaning stormwater ponds in densely populated areas of the city
street sweeping to remove debris before it reaches streams
installing rain gardens, which are positioned near roof waterspouts or driveways to capture and filter stormwater

Q: Does Vaughan have a stormwater system?

A: Yes. The City’s stormwater system currently includes more than 1,000 kilometres of pipes, more than 18,000 catch basins and 144 stormwater ponds.

Q: How can citizens help to manage stormwater?

A: There are many things that citizens can do to help minimize the impacts of stormwater, including:

cleaning up litter
using less fertilizers or biodegradable fertilizers that contain no harmful chemicals
allowing plants and trees to grow in their natural and original habitats, such as those found near creeks and streams
disposing of toxic products at local household hazardous waste centres
capturing stormwater through rain barrels and other methods

Q: Why will stormwater fees appear as a separate charge as of 2017?

A: The City has developed an approach to funding stormwater management programs that calculates the fee according to the amount of rainwater runoff customers contribute. This user-fee model also guarantees that fees collected are used to manage stormwater programs.

Q: Is the stormwater charge a new fee?

A: No, the stormwater charge is not a new fee. Stormwater services have always been funded through property taxes and the wastewater fee. However, the stormwater charge will appear as a separate item on the utility bill starting June 2017.

Q: Is the stormwater charge a bi-monthly charge?

A: No. For residential and commercial customers, the stormwater charge will only appear on your utility bill once a year. The average charge for residential customers living in detached homes will be $50.

Q: How is the stormwater charge calculated?

A: The method of calculation involves categorizing similar properties, determining the total land area of each category and applying the “runoff coefficient.” Categories that have larger building footprints or paved areas generate more runoff. The more runoff a category produces, the larger the cost it imposes on the City’s stormwater system. Those costs for stormwater services are divided by the number of properties within a category to arrive at the flat rate per property. The average charge for residential customers living in detached homes is $50.

Q: How much does it cost to manage stormwater?

A: The 2016 budget for operating and maintaining stormwater management programs in Vaughan is an estimated $5.4 million. In order to expand our capacity to address challenges — such as increased intensity of weather-related events and enhanced regulatory requirements — that impact the performance and management of stormwater infrastructure systems.

Q: Will my residential taxes go down?

As a result of the stormwater charge being pulled out of property taxes and wastewater fees, the wastewater rate would have gone down and taxes also would have decreased by a nominal amount before the residential tax increase was applied for 2017. As a growing city, Vaughan must be prepared to address challenges such as a rising population, increased and more intense weather-related events, and enhanced regulatory requirements.

GENERAL

Q: Where does our water come from?

Water supplies originate from Lake Ontario, the number one source of water for more than six-million people in Ontario. The City of Toronto and Peel Region draw raw water from Lake Ontario and then clean and treat it at their water treatment facilities. York Region then purchases the treated water and supplies it to local municipalities, including the City of Vaughan.

Q: Is water in Vaughan safe and clean?

Absolutely! The City of Vaughan complies with all applicable legislation and regulations, such as the Safe Drinking Water Act, to ensure you have safe drinking water. The City provides safe drinking water to 83,357 residences and 3,005 businesses.

Q: How much water do we use?

Vaughan residents and businesses consume an average of more than 3.2-million cubic metres of water per month. This amount rises to more than four-million cubic metres per month during the summer. The average household uses 267 cubic metres of water per year. One cubic metre equals 1,000 litres of water. A typical bottle of water is 500 millilitres, so one cubic metre equals 2,000 bottles of water. That’s 534,000 bottles a year!

Q: What is the Water and Wastewater/Stormwater budget?

The Water and Wastewater/Stormwater budget allows the City of Vaughan to support the health of residents, be environmental responsible, mitigate flooding and protect the environment. The budget determines rates to support the provision of safe drinking water, effective wastewater collection and efficient stormwater management.

Q: How are the water and wastewater rates determined?

The water and wastewater rates allow the City to pay for approximately $129 million in purchasing, operating and maintenance costs as well as contributions to reserves. The water and wastewater rates cover the costs to:

deliver safe, clean water to homes and businesses
collect wastewater for treatment
take approximately 2,000 water samples every year to ensure safe drinking water
develop leak-detection, inflow and infiltration programs
manage infrastructure
provide customer support to residents

The rates are reviewed every year and both rate and user fee adjustments are recommended to Council for approval. Looking to provide your input? There are opportunities for you to get involved in the budget process.

Q: How much did the water and wastewater rates go up in 2017?

The 2017 water and wastewater rates are combined and equal a 1.56 per cent increase over the 2016 rates. This increase will allow the City to continue to provide safe drinking water, operate and maintain current infrastructure, such as pipes, and save for future needs. The average household uses 267 cubic metres of water per year. One cubic metre equals 1,000 litres of water or 2,000 500-millilitre bottles of water. That means residents pay $3.78 for the amount of water that is in 2,000 bottles.

Contact Information

Environmental Services

Phone: 905-832-2281

Fax: 905-303-2005

Email: accessvaughan@vaughan.ca

Location:

Joint Operations Centre
2800 Rutherford Rd.
Vaughan, ON L4K 2N9

Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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