Manitoba·NewThe City of Winnipeg’s proposed water and sewer rate increases would raise the water-and-sewer bill for a typical family of four by $44 in 2026 and $68 in 2027.City had previously forecast increases of up to 28.5% in 2026 and 17.3% in 2027Cameron MacLean · CBC News · Posted: Oct 28, 2025 4:40 PM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesWater and sewer rates are expected to increase by a significantly smaller amount than the City of Winnipeg had forecast, thanks to new funding commitments from the federal and provincial governments for the North End Water Pollution Control Centre. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)Winnipeggers are facing another round of water and sewer rate hikes, but not as large as the city once warned.A new report heading to council proposes raising the water-and-sewer bill for a typical family of four by $44 in 2026 and $68 in 2027, roughly $9 more a month than today.The increases are needed to help pay for upgrades to the North End Water Pollution Control Centre, the city’s largest sewage treatment facility. The total cost for the upgrades is expected to be around $3 billion.Winnipeg has already raised sewer rates in 2025, adding about $168 to the typical annual household bill. Earlier this year, city staff warned the next round of hikes could be much higher — as high as 28.5 per cent in 2026 and 17.3 per cent in 2027 — if federal and provincial governments didn’t contribute more money.That scenario has been avoided after Ottawa and Manitoba committed an additional $334 million toward the biosolids project, the second of three phases of sewage treatment plant upgrades, easing pressure on the city, which would have needed to take on additional debt to cover the cost.The third and final phase of the project, the nutrient removal facility, is expected to cost $1.5 billion, which the city report assumes will be split equally between the city, province and feds.Winnipeg still expects to finance nearly half a billion dollars of its share of a future nutrient removal facility, but plans to spread that cost over 50 years instead of spiking rates in the short term.The city expects to finish the project by 2032. The city also plans to boost financial assistance for households struggling to pay their bills. It’s loosening the rules for its H2O Help to Others program, which provides credits to low-income residents facing disconnection. Eligibility will now be based on after-tax income levels instead of pre-tax. Households on employment and income assistance can apply for the first time, and families will be allowed to reapply every two years instead of just once.Credit amounts — currently between $280 for a one-person household and $580 for a family of five or more — will also rise automatically as utility rates go up.The water and waste committee will debate the new rates and program changes on Nov. 3. ABOUT THE AUTHORCameron MacLean is a journalist for CBC Manitoba living in Winnipeg, where he was born and raised. He has more than a decade of experience reporting in the city and across Manitoba, covering a wide range of topics, including courts, politics, housing, arts, health and breaking news. Email story tips to cameron.maclean@cbc.ca.
Winnipeg water and sewer rate hikes smaller than once feared
