CCI Manitoba Chapter News

City of Winnipeg approves increases to sewer, water, waste and recycling fees

On March 27, 2025 at the Winnipeg Council meeting, increases to sewer and water rates were approved along with a new waste management fee. If your condominium corporation pays the City's water and waste bill, the impact will likely be much higher than you expected and starts April 1, 2025. For details, here is a link to the City's decision management information system — look for the REPORT OF THE STANDING POLICY COMMITTEE ON WATER, WASTE, AND ENVIRONMENT DATED MARCH 10, 2025 near the end of the agenda and items 2 and 3.

Item 2 — 2025 to 2027 Revised Sewer Volume Rates

• capping the so called dividend from the Sewer, Water and Waste Utility to feed into general revenue 2024-2027 and phasing it out over ten years starting in the 2028-2031 period
• steep increases to the sewer rates but possibly only inflationary increases to the water rate, starting April 1, 2025
  • sewer rate increases by 37.1% then potentially increasing in subsequent years 42.3% and 25.1% 
  • water rate increases of about 3% per year
• no obvious distinction between single-family (SF) and multi-family (MF) residential

Item 3 — Solid Waste Utility Financial Plan and Rate Model 2025-2027

• there seems to be continued push-pull between the property tax funding model versus the fee-for-service funding model
  • "That Council request the Province of Manitoba to amend the City of Winnipeg Charter allow the City to charge differential rates for fees, such as the waste management fee, based on the assessed value of the property.” 
  • "That the Water and Waste Department be directed to review the Solid Waste Utility rate structure and report back to the appropriate committee of Council within 240 days on a utility model that allows for cost recovery, waste diversion, expanded services such as composting, service levels definition and timelines, solid waste rate similar to water and sewer rate charges and other relevant information."
  • "Garbage collection, disposal, and recycling operations at the City of Winnipeg are funded by different sources."
• Rate changes — note that previously garbage was covered by property taxes and recycling had a waste diversion fee (WDF). This is changing so that a waste management fee (WMF) will cover both garbage and recycling and eventually composting.
• the WMF will also cover the cost of repairing and replacing garbage & recycling carts
• the multi-family rate is 50% of the single-family rate, which seems equitable on the assumption of smaller family sizes and hence less materials going into the bins