Stormwater Financing

A stormwater fee credit program was approved by Council as a financial incentive to non-residential and multi-residential properties. The credit program aligns with the City’s mandate to mitigate flooding and increase resiliency during storms, namely towards peak flow reduction, runoff reduction and water quality improvement. A credit is also available to non-residential and multi-residential properties that directly discharge their stormwater into the Detroit River or Lake St. Clair and do not use the municipal system. Learn more by reading the Stormwater Fee Credit Program Manual.

Credit application process: Stormwater Financing Program | City of Windsor

Stormwater Credit Supporting Documents

• Maintenance Commitment Template
• Maintenance Verification Form

An Incentives program exists for Residential property owners. Incentives programs are used to encourage voluntary actions by Residential property owners willing to make changes on their property to achieve a public objective of managing runoff and building flood resiliency. This Incentives Program offers a one-time financial incentive (per Property, per Program type) and is based on existing and new programs run by the City as follows:

1. Enhancement of Existing Subsidy Programs: claim limits were increased under the City’s subsidy programs including Basement Flooding Protection, Sanitary Sewer Private Drain Connection Replacement and Culvert Rehabilitation Subsidy Program. Click here to learn more: Sewers | City of Windsor

2. Rain Barrel Program (new): A rebate of up to $120 on one rain barrel (limit one rain barrel per property owner) that is purchased by a residential property owner at their discretion. The rain barrel can be any make or model with a minimum volume of 132 Litres (35 gallons). Up to 500 properties can take advantage of this program each year. Click here to apply: Stormwater Financing Program | City of Windsor

Program Specifics:

• A receipt/invoice and photo of the installed rain barrel must be provided within the subsidy application
• Residents are responsible for the installation and maintenance the barrel

3.Tree Program (new): Each Residential property owner is entitled to one tree (limit one tree per property owner) for planting on their private property (i.e. not on the public right-of-way area). Trees will be available for pickup at a City Parks location in the Spring and Fall. Up to 200 trees will be available under this program each year. Click here to apply: Stormwater Financing Program | City of Windsor

What's Included:

• One (1) 7-gallon tree container, +/- 6'-0" tall
• Bag of mulch
• Planting guide
• Property map, outlining the parcel/right-of-way (ROW) boundary

Program Specifics:

• Tree species will be determined at scheduled pick up
• One (1) day pickup event in the Spring (3rd Saturday in May) and one (1) pickup event in the Fall (4th Saturday in October)
• Tree pick-up location - City of Windsor Greenhouse (2449 McDougall Street)
• No warranty will be provided.
• Residents are responsible for the installation and maintenance the tree

Tree Pick-up Options & Requirements:

1. Owner Pick-up
   1. One (1) piece of government photo identification
   2. Signature from the individual picking the tree
2. Authorized Representative Pick-up:
   1. An official letter from the property owner authorizing the individual to pick up the tree.
   2. One (1) piece of government photo identification
   3. Signature from the individual picking the tree

1. What is the stormwater fee?

• Before 2025, the City of Windsor funded both wastewater and stormwater projects through the Sanitary Sewer surcharge, which was based on water usage.
• In January 2025, the City separated the sewer surcharge to create dedicated funding models for wastewater and stormwater.
• While the wastewater portion of the fee remains based on water usage, the stormwater portion of the fee is now based on impervious area on a property. Having a dedicated stormwater funding plan helps focus and address the impacts of heavy flooding events, like those experienced in 2016 and 2017.

2. Does my water usage impact whether I’ll see an overall reduction on my bill compared to 2024?

• Each individual property’s actual water usage will impact the charges on your bill.
• On average, it is estimated that many residents will see a reduction in their overall sewer surcharge amount. However, in some cases, such as those properties which use a low amount of water, they may see an increase in their overall sewer surcharge fee.
• On April 28, 2025, Council approved a transitional rebate in 2025 to all residential property owners experiencing an annual increase compared to their 2024 sewer surcharge costs.
  • The rebate amount is directly based on the water usage (the ‘winter average water consumption’ value) and impervious area (residential tier) for the property.
• The rebate will be applied on your Enwin utility bill – a retroactive credit amount for January-June 2025 will be applied on your June bill, and a credit amount will be applied each month between July to December 2025.

3. I have a septic system and not tied to the sewer system. Why do I have to pay the stormwater fee?

• Properties with impervious areas produce runoff. This runoff makes its way into the City’s stormwater system (ditches, ponds, sewers, etc) and must be maintained.
• Properties with impervious areas are subject to the stormwater fee.
• Residents that didn’t previously pay the sewer surcharge, such as those on septic systems, will see an increase based on their rate structure, and will now contribute to funding the stormwater management program.
• The City is obligated to maintain the entire stormwater management system across the whole City to allow for safe access across the City and to promote flood resiliency during storm events. It’s reasonable that all Windsorites contribute to the safe and proper functioning of the stormwater management system.
• Septic systems may have an impact on the City’s stormwater systems. For example, some septic beds may seep into the ground and can affect the groundwater table and its capacity to hold more water, or some have overflow discharges into drains and ditch systems that are ultimately maintained by the City.
• It is estimated there are around 520 residential properties that have a septic system.
• On April 28, 2025, Council approved a 4-year phase-in period for the stormwater fee to residential property owners on septic systems, with a 75% subsidy being offered in 2025, effective to January 2025.
• The rebate will be applied on your Enwin utility bill. Adjustments to your bill can be expected in summer 2025, including a retroactive credit amount to January 2025, followed by monthly credit amounts until December 2025.

4. I am a landlord and received a new bill with a stormwater fee, but my tenants have not? Why does the property owner pay the stormwater bill?

• The stormwater fee is based on the amount of impervious area on the property as a whole. As a result, the stormwater fee is administered to the property owner.
• The property owner is responsible for how the stormwater fee is distributed to the tenants. The property owner is best informed of the lease terms and which impervious areas of the property can be allocated to the tenant for their share of the stormwater fee.
• Since the wastewater fee is still based on water usage and an associated ENWIN account is associated with the tenant, wastewater fees will continue to be issued to the tenant.
• Note that wastewater rates in 2025 are reduced by approximately 40% compared to 2024. This is because prior years’ rates included both wastewater and stormwater funding components.

5. I don’t have a water meter, or my property is a vacant lot. Why do I have to pay the stormwater fee?

• Properties with impervious areas produce runoff. This runoff makes its way into the City’s stormwater system (ditches, ponds, sewers, etc) and must be maintained.
• Properties with impervious areas are subject to the stormwater fee.
• If a property previously didn’t have an ENWIN account (ie vacant lot, no water meter, no electrical service, etc), but it has impervious area subject to the stormwater fee, then a new ENWIN account was created to deliver the stormwater fee for this property.
• Properties that weren’t previously subject to the sewer surcharge will see an increase based on their stormwater rate structure and will now contribute to funding the stormwater management program.
• The City is obligated to maintain the entire stormwater management system across the whole city to allow for safe access across the city and to promote flood resiliency during storm events. It’s reasonable and fair that all Windsorites contribute to the safe and proper functioning of the stormwater management system and help promote Windsor’s resiliency to flooding.

6. I’ve used the online calculator to look at my property. The impervious area on the online calculator looks incorrect. How do I fix this?

• Aerial imagery is used to review and identify impervious areas. You are encouraged to notify the City of surfaces being incorrectly classified so that adjustments may be made for your property accordingly.
• Since tiers are used for residential rate structure, your stormwater fee may not change if you remain in the same tier.
• Please visit the link below to initiate an Appeal to clarify the impervious area on your property. https://www.citywindsor.ca/EServices/Stormwater-Financing

7. My neighbour’s impervious area is higher than mine, but we both pay the same amount. Why is this?

• Residential properties are billed on a 3-tier rate structure. The amount of impervious area on your property determines which tier you fall into. Properties of various sizes can exist in the same tier based on the amount of impervious area.

8. Will small businesses struggle with this increased fee for their parking areas?

• Commercial properties having large impervious areas may pay more. This aligns with the principle of fairly distributing the cost under this new model based on the amount of stormwater runoff produced by each property.
• On average and based on their water usage and impervious area, it is expected that many small and medium sized businesses will see a reduction on their overall sewer surcharge bill.
• In an effort to ease into the first year of the stormwater program, on April 28, 2025, Council approved a one-time transitional credit payment amounting to $0.12 per square meter of impervious area to all multi-residential, non-residential property owners.
• The one-time credit amount will be applied on your Enwin utility bill in summer 2025.

9. There is construction occurring on my property. When do you start charging the stormwater fee on a property?

• Impervious areas as a result of a site under construction (such as footings, staging areas, building under construction, etc) are not immediately considered for the calculation of the stormwater fee for that site.
• The stormwater charge will start to be billed based upon active use of the property, that is upon construction completion and/or occupancy as defined in the by-law.
• Aerial images taken on a yearly frequency and permit dates are some methods the City will use to identify when these impervious surfaces qualify and to calculate the fee based on these values.
• A property having less than 27m² of impervious area is not subject to the stormwater fee.

10. Are any types of properties exempt from the Stormwater Fee?

• Since stormwater management is a public service used by everyone across the City, it is reasonable that everyone contributes.
• As a result, entities that are legally mandated to be exempt are not subject to the stormwater fee – this includes the public, Catholic, and French schoolboards.
• On April 28, 2025, Council approved providing Places of Worship and cemeteries a 60% exemption on their stormwater fee, effective to January 2025. Qualifying properties must have one of the following MPAC property code designations: 314, 700, 701, 702, or 703.
• The revised stormwater fee with the 60% exemption will be applied on the Enwin utility bill. Adjustments to the bill can be expected in summer 2025, including the retroactive credit amount to January 2025.

11. What is stormwater?

• Stormwater is the water that flows into our sewers, creeks and lakes after it rains or from melting snow.
• In natural areas, stormwater can soak into the ground
• In urban areas, stormwater runs off hard impervious surfaces (eg rooftops, parking areas, driveways, sidewalks, patios, compacted ground, etc.) and can increase the potential of flooding and erosion and also carry debris and chemicals into streams and rivers.

Source: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)

12. What is the City’s role in managing stormwater?

• The City is responsible for managing stormwater within the municipality through the stormwater management program, including operating and maintaining storm sewers, ditches, inlets, stormwater management facilities (ponds), bridges, culverts, infiltration facilities, oil grit separators, engineered and natural channels, and storm sewer outfalls to streams and watercourses.
• The City’s stormwater assets include:
  1. More than 1025 km of storm sewer and combined sewer pipes
  2. Approximately 15,300 sewer maintenance holes and 22,615 catch basins
  3. 29 stormwater ponds (wet and dry)
  4. 39 pumping stations
  5. Approximately 124 km of municipal drains and 254 km of roadside ditches
• The estimated replacement cost value of the existing stormwater system is approximately $2 Billion.

13. What are the costs to local property owners? How does the City fund its stormwater program, including studies?

• The annual wastewater and stormwater operating budget and capital improvement budget is funded through sewer charges.
• In 2025, Council approved the following operating & capital budget:
  1. Stormwater: $ 53,048,089
  2. Wastewater: $ 62,616,468
• Prior to 2025, the sewer surcharge was a user rate that reflected the costs of water entering the sewer systems from a property, based on the user’s water consumption.
• Based on findings from the Stormwater Financing Study (2020), the City separated the costs of stormwater and wastewater related works.
• The stormwater rate is now based on impervious area (as opposed to water consumption), and the wastewater rate remains to be based on water consumption.

14. What are the impacts to local property owners?

• The new funding model and rate structure will provide a more equitable and sustainable funding source for the stormwater program than the previous model of paying for stormwater costs using sewer surcharges related to water usage.
• This is not a new fee for residents who were paying the sewer surcharge – the previous water bill already included a single combined fee called Waste Water Charges that funded both the stormwater and wastewater programs.
• The stormwater fee is applicable to all properties in the City as it is a charge for a public service. The service is a benefit to everyone, regardless of direct connection or usage of the City’s stormwater management system.

15. How can I find out more information on the Project?

Additional communications are available online and through the City of Windsor’s social media platforms.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact 311 or email the City Project Team at rowprograms@citywindsor.ca.

The City of Windsor previously funded both wastewater and stormwater projects through the Sanitary Sewer surcharge, which was based on water consumption. In January 2025, the City separated the Sanitary Sewer surcharge to create dedicated funding models for wastewater and stormwater, introducing a new method to fund stormwater management based on impervious area on a property. Implementing a dedicated stormwater funding plan using a new financial model for the calculation helps to address the impacts of heavy flooding events the City experienced in 2016 and 2017 and allows for the implementation of the City’s Sewer Master Plan to address flooding in a more focused way. Please visit the online calculator tool to view your property and see how the stormwater fee for your property was calculated.

1. My ENWIN utility bill looks different. What are Wastewater and Stormwater charges?

Beginning in January 2025, the City has broken out wastewater and stormwater funding and how it charges for these services. The former wastewater charge on your bill is now referenced as a sewer charge, with itemized rates to give you a clearer picture of wastewater and stormwater components. The stormwater charge is not an additional fee for residents as this was included in the “WASTE WATER” charges section of your previous bills. The differences in your bill are shown below, comparing the old bill (“WASTE WATER”) with the new bill (“SEWER”):

2. If stormwater is now being charged separately, what is the effect on the wastewater rates?

Previously, stormwater and wastewater were grouped together and charged a rate based on the amount of water used by the property. With stormwater and wastewater being separated in 2025, the rate for wastewater has reduced significantly since stormwater is now being calculated separately using impervious area. For residents, the fixed rate charged for wastewater has decreased from $21.65 to $12.89 per month and the variable consumption charge has decreased from $3.37 per cubic metre to $2.01 per cubic metre. Stormwater rates are fixed based upon a tier structure being Tier 1, 2 or 3. Below are the 2024 vs 2025 wastewater fixed charge rate and consumption charge rates for residential and non-residential accounts:

The stormwater and wastewater fee rates are subject to City Council approval each year. These rates can be found on the City of Windsor website at https://citywindsor.ca/residents/water-and-utilities/wastewater-fee/wastewater-and-stormwater-fee-calculation

3. Why does my January bill have two lines for sewer charges? Why was I charged two different rates?

The first ENWIN bill for January of any year is likely to include a billing period that spans December of the previous & January of the current year, with rate changes taking effect January 1. The wastewater fixed costs and stormwater fees will be prorated based on the number of days spanning January & December. If you have any additional questions, please contact ENWIN Call Centre at 519-255-2727 or email: info@enwin.com.

Further information on rates can be found here: https://citywindsor.ca/residents/water-and-utilities/wastewater-fee/wastewater-and-stormwater-fee-calculation

4. Should I compare my bill to the same month last year?

To have a fulsome understanding of changes to your bill you should compare the year-over-year total annual costs rather than on a monthly comparison. Charges on your bill depend on monthly water usage fluctuations which may differ drastically for various reasons such as things like weather and time away from the home. If you have any additional questions, please contact ENWIN Call Centre at 519-255-2727 or email: info@enwin.com.

5. Does my water usage impact whether I’ll see an overall reduction on my bill compared to 2024?

Each individual property’s actual water usage will impact the charges on your bill. On average, it is estimated that many residents will see a reduction in their overall sewer surcharge amount. However, in some cases, such as those properties which use a low amount of water, they may see an increase in their overall sewer surcharge fee.

On April 28, 2025, Council approved to provide a transitional rebate in 2025 only to all residential property owners experiencing an annual increase compared to their 2024 sewer surcharge costs. The amount of this rebate will be based on the ‘winter average water consumption’ value for each property. The rebate will be applied on your Enwin utility bill – a retroactive credit amount for January-June 2025 will be applied on your June bill, and a credit amount will be applied each month between July to December 2025.

6. I’ve used the online calculator to look at my property. The impervious area on the online calculator looks incorrect. How do I fix this?

The calculation for the stormwater fee is based on the amount of impervious surfaces on the site. The City uses aerial imagery to review and identify impervious areas. You are encouraged to notify the City of surfaces being incorrectly classified so that adjustments may be made for your property accordingly. Visit the link below to initiate an Appeal to clarify the impervious area. https://www.citywindsor.ca/EServices/Stormwater-Financing

7. My neighbour’s impervious area is higher than mine, but we both pay the same amount. Why is this?

Residential properties are billed on a 3-tier rate structure. The amount of impervious area on your property determines which tier you fall into.

• Tier 1: any property having between 27-200 sqm of impervious area will pay a monthly rate of $22.50/month (or $270/year). Tier 1 represents the smallest 25% of residential properties (by impervious area) across the City.
• Tier 2: any property having between 201-325 sqm of impervious area will pay a monthly rate of $28.17/month (or $338/year). Tier 2 represents the middle 50% of residential properties (by impervious area) across the City.
• Tier 3: any property having more than 325 sqm of impervious area will pay a monthly rate of $33.83/month (or $406/year). Tier 3 represents the largest 25% of residential properties (by impervious area) across the City.

8. Will small businesses struggle with this increased fee for their parking areas?

Commercial properties having large impervious areas may pay more. This aligns with the principle of fairly distributing the cost under this new model based on the amount of stormwater runoff produced by each property. On average and based on their water usage and impervious area, it is expected that many small and medium sized businesses will see a reduction on their sewer surcharge bill.

In an effort to ease into the first year of the stormwater program, on April 28, 2025, Council approved a one-time transitional credit payment amounting to $0.12 per square meter of impervious area to all multi-residential, non-residential property owners. The one-time credit amount will be applied on your Enwin utility bill in summer 2025.

9. I’m not connected to the sewer system. Why am I being charged the stormwater fee?

Since stormwater management is a public service used by everyone across the City, it is reasonable that everyone contributes. This is a fair distribution of cost for flood reduction mitigation and proper functioning of the City’s infrastructure assets as everyone benefits from a well operating drainage system. The amount of the fee is based on the amount of impervious area on your property. In cases where an ENWIN utility bill did not previously exist for a property, a new one was issued.

Residents that didn’t previously pay the sewer surcharge, such as those on septic systems, will see an increase based on their rate structure, and will now contribute to funding the stormwater management program. Septic systems have an impact on the City’s stormwater systems. For example, some septic beds may seep into the ground and can affect the groundwater table and its capacity to hold more water, or some have overflow discharges into drains and ditch systems that are ultimately maintained by the City. It is estimated there are around 520 residential properties that have a septic system.

On April 28, 2025, Council approved a 4-year phase-in period for the stormwater fee to residential property owners on septic systems, with a 75% subsidy being offered in 2025, effective to January 2025. The rebate will be applied on your Enwin utility bill. Adjustments to your bill can be expected in summer 2025, including a retroactive credit amount to January 2025, followed by monthly credit amounts until December 2025.

10. Are any types of properties exempt from the Stormwater Fee?

Since stormwater management is a public service used by everyone across the City, it is reasonable that everyone contributes. As a result, entities that are legally mandated to be exempt are not subject to the stormwater fee – this includes the public, Catholic, and French schoolboards.

Also, following Administration’s review of the exemption policy, on April 28, 2025, Council approved providing Places of Worship and cemeteries with a 60% exemption on their stormwater fee, effective to January 2025. Qualifying properties must have one of the following MPAC property code designations: 314, 700, 701, 702, or 703. The revised amount will be applied on the Enwin utility bill. Adjustments to the bill can be expected in summer 2025, including the retroactive credit amount to January 2025.

11. There is construction occurring on my property. When do you start charging the stormwater fee on a property?

Impervious areas as a result of a site under construction (such as footings, staging areas, building under construction, etc) are not immediately considered for the calculation of the stormwater fee for that site. The stormwater charge will start to be billed based upon active use of the property, that is upon construction completion and/or occupancy as defined in the by-law. Aerial images taken on a yearly frequency and permit dates are some methods the City will use to identify when these impervious surfaces qualify and to calculate the fee based on these values.

12. Will there be changes to my monthly utility fee?

Your monthly ENWIN utility bill now shows additional line items breaking out wastewater and stormwater charges. The changes represented on your ENWIN bill will depend on the type of property you own. The impacts on non-residential and multi-residential properties could be widely varied, depending on how much impervious surface cover is on the property and how much water consumption occurs on the property today. For example, under the old funding model based on water consumption, a commercial parking lot or parking structure that did not use any water was not paying anything towards using stormwater infrastructure and services. Under the new rate structure, this type of property is subject to a stormwater charge in direct proportion to the amount of hard impervious area on the property. Therefore, this type of property would potentially feel the largest impact. On the other hand, there are examples of large industrial properties in the City that consume a lot of water and therefore were already paying a large share towards stormwater services through the sewer surcharge.

In some cases, the net impact of shifting to the new rate structure could be negligible, or even favourable for the property owner. To provide fair and equitable cost distribution across the City to support system-wide improvements, the stormwater fee model is based directly on the amount of impervious area on the property, both for residential and non-residential properties.

For residential properties, a 3-Tier billing structure exists. Impervious area for each property is measured using aerial imagery and properties fall into one of three tiers:

• Tier 1 at 27-200 m² of impervious area;
• Tier 2 at 201-325 m² of impervious area; or
• Tier 3 for properties with more than 325 m² of impervious area.

Most residential properties fall in Tier 2.

The stormwater and wastewater fee rates are subject to City Council approval each year. These rates can be found on the City of Windsor website at https://citywindsor.ca/residents/water-and-utilities/wastewater-fee/wastewater-and-stormwater-fee-calculation

13. How does the new Funding Model and Rate Structure work?

Under the approved funding model, the amount of impervious area on a property is used as the meter to determine the stormwater fee. Impervious surfaces include those which don’t allow the natural infiltration of water into the ground, and can include buildings, driveways, sidewalks, patios, parking lots, compacted ground, material stockpiles, and accessways.

Residential properties are grouped into tiers (e.g., low, medium, high) based on their measured impervious area where each tier has a fixed rate. Non-residential properties are charged based on the measured impervious area on each parcel. The new funding model and rate structure provide an equitable and sustainable funding source for the future stormwater program.

In recent years, the City’s previous sewer surcharge model allocated 55% of the cost of stormwater and wastewater services to residential customers and 45% to non-residential customers. The City’s historic approach of funding stormwater services through the sewer surcharge rate did not fairly distribute costs between these two high-level property classifications and, as a result, residential properties effectively paid a higher burden of program costs than non-residential properties.

With a shift to the new rate structure introduced in 2025, the revenue generation for stormwater services is approximately 42% from residential customers and 58% from non-residential customers. This is aligned with the share of impervious areas associated with properties across the City and consistent with the approach adopted by municipalities across Canada and the United States.

The figure below, updated from the Study, provides a comparison of how stormwater costs are shared between residential and non-residential properties under the City’s previous cost recovery model (i.e. sewer surcharge rates based on water usage) versus the current model that considers actual impervious area of properties.

14. What are the impacts to local property owners?

The new funding model and rate structure will provide a more equitable and sustainable funding source for the stormwater program than the previous model of paying for stormwater costs using sewer surcharges related to water usage. This means long-term positive impacts of an effective stormwater management program, which includes a reduction in flood risk, improved water quality and environment, and reduced stream and creek erosion. This is not a new fee – the previous water bill already included a single combined fee called Waste Water Charges that funded both the stormwater and wastewater programs. The stormwater fee is applicable to all properties in the City as it is a charge for a public service. The service is a benefit to everyone, regardless of direct connection or usage of the City’s stormwater management system.

15. How can I find out more information on the Project?

Additional communications are available online and through the City of Windsor’s social media platforms.

Property owners can view the impervious area on their property and the corresponding stormwater fee using the online calculator tool, which can be accessed through this project website or directly at https://CityW.ca/StormwaterFeeCalculator.

Stormwater and wastewater fee rates can be found on the City of Windsor website at https://citywindsor.ca/residents/water-and-utilities/wastewater-fee/wastewater-and-stormwater-fee-calculation

For general questions, please contact 311 or email the City Project Team at rowprograms@citywindsor.ca.

For billing related questions, please contact ENWIN Call Centre at 519-255-2727 or email: info@enwin.com.

Your stormwater fee will be based on the impervious area on your property. Look for a more detailed billing description that separates wastewater and stormwater usage on your ENWIN water bill, starting in January 2025.

Residential Properties

Tiered flat rate based on impervious area.

Non-Residential and Multi-Residential

Fee based on amount of impervious area.

* equivalent annual rate of $1.26 /m²

The Wastewater Charge is calculated using Stand-Alone Uniform Wastewater Rates. This is made up of the Wastewater Fixed Charge that is based on the size of the meter connected to your address and a Wastewater Consumption Charge based on water usage. In order to exclude increased summer water usage that is estimated not to be returned to the sewer system, the water usage for the wastewater consumption charge will be calculated as the lower of actual water usage or the winter average usage.

The wastewater rates are listed below:

Residential Accounts:

Commercial Accounts:

Follow this link for more information: Sewer Surcharge Calculation | City of Windsor