New Stormwater By-Law put into effect by the City of Mississauga on January 1, 2016.

The By-Law, referred to as Fees and Charges for Stormwater Capital and Operating Services (Number 0135-2015), allows the City of Mississauga to charge property owners for stormwater discharges and will be added as an additional line item to the Region of Peel’s Water and Sewer bill. The purpose of the By-Law is to establish a sustainable source of funding to off-set the costs of operating and maintaining infrastructure required to convey and treat stormwater run-off.

Stormwater is generated from rain and melted snow flowing from properties into streets and down storm drains. This water flows through a complex network of pipes and waterways directly into a large water body such as a lake or river. Stormwater drainage systems reduce adverse effects on the environment, flooding and property damage.

Over the past 5 to 10 years, many cities and municipalities have developed programs to collect funds for stormwater management. In Ontario, Kitchener/Waterloo, London, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Markham, Hamilton and now Mississauga have implemented these fees. Jurisdictions in other parts of the country such as Halifax, Victoria, Edmonton and Regina, have also implemented similar stormwater fees, while Toronto has decided to adjust their water rate fee in order to fund stormwater initiatives.

If you own or lease a commercial, industrial or multi-residential property in Mississauga, the new Stormwater By-Law affects you! Register for our next complimentary breakfast seminar on September 20^th at our Mississauga office and learn how you can obtain stormwater credits and reduce your fees and charges.

Reducing Stormwater Charges

All properties that discharge to Mississauga’s storm drains and are subject to this charge have already been assessed by the City. Multi-residential and non-residential property owners will be assigned one billing unit for every 267 square metres of hard surface on their property. Hard surface is any area of a property where water cannot penetrate such as roofs, driveways, walkways, patios, gravelled areas etc. The 2016 stormwater rate has been set at $100 per billing unit. This rate will be set annually during the City of Mississauga’s budget process. You can determine the annual charge for a particular property by using the estimator tool on the City of Mississauga’s website. A typical industrial property with an assessed total of 72,000 square metres of hard surface will incur an annual fee of $13,480.

The City of Mississauga has developed a stormwater credit program that can reduce the annual charge for a property by up to 50%.
The types of credits are categorized as follows:

Peak Flow Reduction: Allowing the water to drain slowly from the property during and after precipitation may reduce annual charges by up to 40%. This can take the form of roof top or parking lot rainwater storage and wet or dry ponds.
Water Quality Treatment: Treating stormwater prior to discharge can reduce annual charges by up to 10%. Some facilities may already have stormwater interceptors in place and can apply for this credit.
Runoff Volume Reduction: This technology is ideal for sites that have yet to be developed and can yield a credit of up to 15% annually. It involves capturing the first 15 mm of any rainfall and reusing that water for green space irrigation or for non-potable use within any buildings on the property.
Pollution Prevention: Implementing pollution prevention practices will yield up to a 5% reduction in annual charges and will be the easiest credit for property owners to take advantage of.

Stormwater Credits

For existing property stormwater management and controls, the City of Mississauga will be accepting credit applications until the end of 2016. During this time, credits to water bills will be applied retroactively for the 2016 year. Credits will be valid for up to 5 years after which a credit renewal application will have to be filed. All applications will need to be prepared by a qualified professional such as a Professional Engineer. After submission of the credit application and subsequent review by the City, the approved credit will appear as an additional line item on the Peel Water and Sewer bill as a negative charge.

When considering the implementation of stormwater control measures for larger properties, experienced consultants should review proposed measures and existing building design to prevent water infiltration issues in buildings. For those properties that have yet to be developed, it is advantageous to ensure the property contains features that maximize stormwater credits.

For more information about the City of Mississauga’s new Stormwater by-law, please contact
Rosanna DiLabio, M.Sc., P.Eng., EP(CEA), Pinchin Ltd.’s Senior Client Manager, Emissions Reduction & Compliance.
T: 905.363.1319 │ C: 416.816.5039 │ E: rdilabio@Pinchin.com