Water Billing Modernization Project

Water and Wastewater Billing Update - As of January 2026

Water and wastewater bills for the final portion of 2025 consumption have now been mailed. These bills cover usage up to December 31, 2025, and are being issued under the old billing structure. This marks the last bill you will receive under the old system.

Your bill includes:

• Water and wastewater usage charged at 2025 rates
• Fixed water charges, prorated to reflect the length of this billing period
• Charges covering the period from your last bill to December 31, 2025

For customers enrolled in a pre-authorized payment plan, the balance owing will be withdrawn on February 19, 2026.

Under the old system, wastewater costs were collected in two ways:

• Partly through your water bill, based on consumption
• Partly through a wastewater tax levy on your property tax bill, known as a Special Area Rate (SAR)

What’s Coming Next

Your next water bill will arrive in March 2026 and will reflect the new billing system. It will include:

• Fixed and variable water and wastewater charges
• Usage for January and February 2026

What to Expect Under the New Billing System

• Bills will be based on:
  • Your water meter size (fixed charges)
  • Your actual water usage (variable charges)
• Water bills will be issued bi-monthly (every other month) beginning in March
• The wastewater tax levy (SAR) will be eliminated from your final tax bill in 2026
• 100% of water and wastewater services will now appear on your water bill

Estimate Your Future Water Bills

Residents can estimate future water bills using the Town’s online calculator:
https://www.grimsby.ca/living-in/property-taxes/water-calculator/

To use the calculator, you’ll need to know your water meter size. Most residential properties have a meter smaller than one inch, typically 5/8” or 3/4”. Non-residential customers can confirm meter size by contacting the Town.

Looking Ahead

The Town will continue exploring e-billing options and online tools that allow customers to monitor their account and water consumption more easily.

Project Background

Current Billing Practices for Water and Wastewater Services

Every time we turn on the tap or flush the toilet, we count on clean water being there and wastewater being carried away safely. Behind the scenes, it takes a lot of equipment, treatment plants, and dedicated staff to keep everything running smoothly. To cover these costs, municipalities charge customers for the water and wastewater services they use.

For many years, Grimsby has used a water bill to charge customers for the supply of water and a special area rate, otherwise known as a Wastewater Tax Levy, to bill customers for wastewater treatment. A Wastewater Levy is found on your tax bill, and it represents the property owner's share of the Town-wide costs to keep Grimsby's wastewater system running safely and efficiently.

Over the past few years, the Town has been working to modernize water and wastewater billing. In 2023, changes were introduced, splitting wastewater charges 50/50 between the tax and water bill. Charges on the tax bill are calculated by multiplying the assessed value of the property by a special area rate (Wastewater Levy). Variable charges on the water bill are based on individual water usage.

Rate Structure Changes

Town Council approved changes to eliminate the Wastewater Levy effective January 2026 and charge customers using meter size ratios for fixed water and wastewater costs. Customers will now find all of their water and wastewater costs in one place - the water bill. These changes will be effective for January 2026 water and wastewater consumption.

A Better Way to Bill Water and Wastewater

The Town is introducing a new billing structure that’s more equitable, transparent, and consistent with practices used across Ontario.

The current model can be difficult to reconcile, with wastewater collection costs shared between the property tax bill and water bill. This split makes it difficult to understand the true cost of water and wastewater services.

At present, everyone pays the same fixed water charge, whether it’s a small household or a large business, regardless of how much water they use or the size of their water meter. Some properties pay additional fixed charges for extra residential or commercial units tied to the same account, but this isn't the most equitable way to distribute fixed water costs.

The new rate structure simplifies billing and ensures fairness by linking water and wastewater charges to meter size and actual water use.

Customers with the same meter size and consumption will pay the same amount – a fair, consistent, and easy-to-understand approach for everyone.

Billing by Meter Sizes - How Does it Work?

The best practice for billing water and wastewater costs involves the use of meter size ratios, a method commonly adopted by municipalities across Ontario. The smallest meter size represents the base charge for how larger meters are billed proportionately. The size of a meter is relative to the capacity to consume or flow water. Larger meters place greater demand on the system and are therefore billed at a higher ratio than smaller meters.

Most residential meters are less than one inch in size. The table below outlines how costs are allocated based on meter size.

The wastewater tax levy will be eliminated for 2026 and future years. To estimate how much you will save on your tax bill, look for the Wastewater Levy line on your current 2025 final tax bill.

Visit the FAQ section on the right side of the page for more information about the Wastewater Levy and an example of a current bill.

Billing Timeline Changes

Currently, all billing areas in the Town (A, B, C, and D) are billed three times per year, with each bill covering four months of consumption. A final bill for all areas will be issued at the end of January 2026. This bill will cover only the remaining months since your last regular billing - not the full four months. Fixed charges will be prorated based on number of months remaining in your previous billing period.

In 2026, all areas will be on the same billing schedule with bills being issued every other month. More frequent billing will allow customers to better manage their budget and monitor their water consumption. It will also help identify potential leaks sooner, saving customers money and reducing water towards greater environmental responsibility. These changes have been made possible, in part, by the 2025 Meter Exchange Project, which resulted in the exchange of approximately 2,100 outdated touchpad meters, enabling remote data collection and meter reads for all areas of the Town.

Beginning in March 2026, all customers in Town will be on the same billing schedule and receive a bill every other month. All water customers will be on the same billing schedule going forward.

Water Bill Calculator

Wondering how the new water rates might affect your bill? Try our easy-to-use Water Billing Calculator to estimate your future costs based on your typical water use.

Water Conservation

Customers can make a difference in the amount of their water bill by making changes in the way that they use water, reducing consumption and keeping a close watch for potential leaks.

Saving water is also good for the environment, reducing water loss and making best use of precious resources. Visit https://www.grimsby.ca/living-in/water-services/water-billing/water-conservation-and-leak-detection/ for more information.