Supporting Vaughan’s vital stormwater system

Annual charge will appear on your utility bill between May and July

Have you ever wondered where all that water goes after a rainfall? It drains into catch basins and enters the City of Vaughan’s stormwater system. With more than 344,412 residents in Vaughan, this vital infrastructure must be kept in top shape to continue servicing our growing community – which is supported through the City’s annual stormwater charge. Depending on your billing cycle, the charge will appear on one of your Alectra Utilities invoices between May and July.

The stormwater charge is not a new fee – it began appearing as a separate line item on utility bills in June 2017. Prior to this time, stormwater services were funded through the wastewater fee. The charge is billed once annually and covers the entire calendar year.

The stormwater charge has helped to fund more than 300 important City programs and initiatives, including: 

• cleaning and clearing of the City’s catch basins.
• routine camera inspections of the City’s stormwater pipes.
• inspections of the City’s 150 stormwater management ponds and clean-out of select ponds.
• prevention of erosion and degradation of more than 150 kilometres of the natural creek system.
• proactive improvement and preventative repair of stormwater infrastructure.

Stormwater is rainwater and melted snow that runs off lawns, streets and other land surfaces. This runoff is meant to be absorbed by plants and soils or make its way back to ponds, rivers, lakes and streams. However, hard surfaces — such as pavement, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks and roofs — prevent this runoff from naturally soaking into the ground, especially in urban areas.

Stormwater has several environmental impacts. Excess runoff that does not soak into the ground can pick up pollutants, such as oils, pesticides, bacteria and garbage, before flowing into bodies of water like Lake Ontario – the source of Vaughan’s drinking water.

You can help reduce stormwater pollution by taking these easy actions today:

• Put trash where it belongs and report litter.
• Never pour pool chemicals, paint, fats, oils, grease, food scraps or medication down drains or catch basins.
• Dispose of toxic or hazardous products (like motor oil, paints, solvents and others) at a York Region waste depot. The Vaughan location is at 130 McCleary Crt.

To learn more about the City’s stormwater services, visit vaughan.ca/stormwater.

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