What you need to know: Vaughan’s stormwater, water and wastewater charges

The City of Vaughan is committed to continue providing safe and reliable drinking water, stormwater management services. To achieve this, continued investments are critical to ensure the City’s stormwater, water and wastewater systems remain in good working order both now and into the future – this is all funded through the water and wastewater charge and the annual stormwater charge.

What is the water and wastewater charge?

The City charges for water and wastewater services, maintenance and initiatives. These charges are billed by Alectra, on behalf of the City, and appear on your hydro bill.  They are based on the amount of water consumed. 

The wastewater charge is typically higher than the water charge because it includes the cost of collecting and moving used water and the complex process of treating it to meet environmental and public health standards before it is safely released or reused.

What is the annual stormwater charge? 

The annual stormwater charge funds stormwater infrastructure maintenance and services so it can be kept in good repair to continue servicing the community. It is not a new fee – it has appeared on utility bills since June 2017. Before this time, stormwater services were funded through property taxes and the wastewater fee. The stormwater charge is billed once a year by Alectra and covers the entire calendar year. It will appear on your hydro bill between May and June.

These rates fund very important services that we all rely on every day, including:

• delivering safe, clean water to homes and businesses.

• managing infrastructure – the pipes that bring water into your home and the sewers that remove it.

• taking about 4,000 water samples every year to ensure our water meets regulatory requirements.

• developing leak-detection, and sewer inflow and infiltration mitigation programs.

• collecting wastewater for treatment – this includes everything you send down a drain from ordinary habits, like bathing, toilet flushing and laundry. 

• cleaning and clearing of the City’s catch basins.

• inspections of the City’s more than 150 stormwater management ponds and clean-out of select ponds.

• prevention of erosion and degradation of more than 150 kilometres of the natural creek system.

• proactive improvement and preventative repair of stormwater infrastructure.

• providing customer support when you need help

• routine camera inspections of the City’s stormwater pipes.

If your bill looks higher than normal, you may have leaky pipes in your home – be sure to check your sinks, toilets and bathtubs, and monitor your water meter. Visit the City’s water leak prevention webpage for more information on checking for and preventing leaks.

To learn more about the City’s stormwater, water and wastewater services, visit vaughan.ca/water.

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