Hello Ward 8 Neighbours,
Council approved a 2% City water, wastewater & storm rate increase for 2024. Unfortunately an additional 8% is required to pay for provincial downloading & regulations.
For more details, please continue reading below…
Hamilton ratepayers will be paying an additional 10.4 per cent to maintain water, wastewater and stormwater on their properties next year.
City councillors voted to approve about an $88 per year bump on the average residential bill in 2024, with some funds devoted to rebuilding system the aging water and sewer infrastructure.
Original rate projections were thought to be around a 20% increase per year.
As one of Canada’s oldest water and sewage systems, Hamilton’s infrastructure, like that of other older cities, faces numerous challenges that require investment to repair and upgrade.
This proposed investment aims to address the poor condition of some of the City of Hamilton’s water and sewer infrastructure, growth and development, environmental stewardship, climate change resilience, and years of under-investment.
The City will continue to provide programs and education that allow users of the system to take steps to lower their water use, and in turn lower their water bills.
In addition to programs for residents, the City continues to invest in infrastructure that lowers costs of the system overall, including work to optimize water meters, the hydrant spare part program, and a proactive program to detect and fix leaks within the system.
The amount of wastewater being treated can increase substantially in heavy downpours as Hamilton has combined sewers in older areas of the city below the escarpment and some parts of the Mountain. That means human waste and rainwater goes through the same pipe requiring both fresh rainwater and sewage to be sent to the City’s water treatment plant.
For more information, visit https://www.hamilton.ca/city-council/city-administration/city-budget/2024-tax-rate-budget/2024-rate-budget.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our office here.