Email icon Back to Search
chart of water expenses

Port Colborne's budget committee of the whole unanimously approved the 2022 water/wastewater budget at their meeting on Dec. 6, 2021, with a zero per cent increase to ratepayers. At their meeting on Dec. 13, 2021, council approved the 2022 water/wastewater budget.

Some highlights from the 2022 water/wastewater budget, that focuses on the need to connect the community while planning and building for growth, include:

  • The introduction of a grant program where homeowners can receive $1,000 towards replacing their water service and $1,000 towards replacing their sewer lateral. To help homeowners pay for the entire replacement, the city will also be providing a loan program with $2,500 available to replace a water service, and $2,500 available to replace a sewer lateral. The first intake for this grant and loan program will be for property owners located in watermain/sanitary project areas and/or where the city is completing an Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) project. The grant program will then open to property owners across the city. More information will be made available to eligible property owners soon.  
  • Maintaining the pre-authorized payment incentive of $25 for water and wastewater ratepayers and the introduction of a new incentive encouraging ratepayers to register for online billing. This new incentive is also $25 ($15 for water/wastewater bills and $10 for property tax bills).

More information about this new incentive will be made available early 2022.

  • Maintain the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) grant implemented in 2021 for wastewater charges. For more information about the GIS wastewater credit, visit our website.

Council also approved an increase of $11.50 per year for single family properties on their property tax bill for storm sewer charges.

Capital projects, totaling 7.2 million dollars, were approved through the capital budget process for water, wastewater, and storm sewer projects include:

  • Water: Erie Street watermain replacement.
  • Water: Watermain replacement and looping project associated with Davis St., West St, Homewood Ave, and Berkley Ave.
  • Wastewater: Clarke area sanitary sewer remediation associated with the east side sanitary network, north of Killaly St. E.
  • Wastewater: Clarke area inflow and infiltration reduction program.
  • Storm Sewer: surcharge and flooding along King Street.
  • Storm Sewer: Johnston Street pumping station upgrades.
  • Storm Sewer: Johnston Street stormwater pond cleaning and maintenance.

Staff have also applied for and/or have secured grant funding for some of these projects to offset their financial impacts to the budget and residents.

“On behalf of Council, I would like to thank staff for their work on creating this aggressive budget. Even though it is at zero, there are aggressive components, as it has been a long road that this council has taken with respect to water, wastewater and storm water projects,” said Mayor Steele. “We have been trying to reduce bill rates for our community and this budget presentation demonstrates the fruits of our labour as we begin stabilizing rates for 2022. Again, I would like to thank staff for their work on this budget, and the past three water budgets, to get us to this point”.


Residents are encouraged to read the 2022 rates budget report, presentation, and appendices, or watch the budget presentation online.

Port Colborne’s tax levy operating budget was approved at the Nov. 8, 2021 council meeting, and the capital budget was approved at the Sept. 27, 2021council meeting. Residents are also encouraged to read the 2022 levy budget report, presentation, and appendices, or watch the budget presentation online.

Port Colborne’s budget process has focused on supporting the community and corporate pillars identified in the new strategic plan that is guiding the city’s operations into 2023.