New billing structure includes flat fee for residential/vacant properties and industrial/commercial/institutional properties up to one acre in size
The Town of Cobourg would like to inform residents of upcoming changes to stormwater management billing.
Following feedback from the community and a full review of the Town of Cobourg stormwater
rate structure, at the June 26, 2024 Regular Council Meeting, Council directed staff to
implement a revised alternative rate structure for stormwater management. The new fee
structure will introduce a flat fee for properties up to one acre in size. Additional charges of
$188.28/hectare per month will apply for all commercial, institutional and industrial properties
above one acre/0.40469 hectares. There are no additional charges for residential or vacant
land that are above one acre in size.
Additional changes to be applied to the stormwater management rate structure include the reclassification of cemeteries. At the June 26 meeting, Council moved to re-classify cemeteries
as Vacant Land, therefore reducing the fees applied to these properties.
2025 Stormwater Rates
Town of Cobourg Staff have been working with Lakefront Utility Services Inc. (LUSI) to update
the amended stormwater rate structure as per Council’s recommendations. The new rate
structure will be implemented for January charges, meaning residents will begin to see billing
changes on their February 2025 bills.
Property Type Billing Rates Per Month
Residential and Vacant Land
(including cemeteries)
$7.78 per month ($93.40/year)
Industrial/Commercial/Institutional
up to 1 Acre (0.40469 ha) in size
$7.78 per month ($93.40/year)
Industrial/Commercial/Institutional
greater than 1 Acre (0.40469 ha) in size
$7.78 + $188.28/hectare per month
2025 Stormwater Billing
New for 2025, property owners can look for a designated “Stormwater Charges” section on
their LUSI bills.
Refunds and Credits
Property owners who paid a higher amount in stormwater charges in 2023 and 2024 compared
to the revised rates will receive a credit. As per Council’s direction, refunds will be issued only
for those who are owed over $300. All others will receive a credit on their bill that will be
applied to stormwater charges only.
Throughout 2025, Lakefront Utility Services Inc. will be making necessary adjustments to
customer accounts and issuing cheques as required. Those who have set-up pre-authorized
payments will receive a refund directly to their bank account while all others will receive a
cheque.
2023/2024 Stormwater Billing Adjustment
Property owners who paid less than the revised 2023/2024 rates will be invoiced for these
additional fees in 2025. Properties owing more than $45 will have this adjustment spread out
over the 12 months of billing for 2025.
Interest Charges Resume in 2026
There will be no interest charges applied for outstanding stormwater management balances
until January 2026.
Questions:
For more information regarding Stormwater Management please visit Cobourg.ca/stormwater.
If you have questions about your stormwater billing, please email lusi@lusi.on.ca or call
905-372-2193
About Stormwater:
Stormwater is a form of wastewater whereby rainwater and snowmelt run off properties and
often makes its way through the storm sewer system and/or a stormwater pond before discharging to
the environment. Even if water does not directly flow from your property into our stormwater system, all
the lands and roads in Cobourg are serviced by stormwater infrastructure. The purpose of stormwater
management is to maintain the health of streams, lakes and aquatic life by mitigating the effects of
urban development.
The Town of Cobourg stormwater management system is valued at approximately $70.2 million. Stormwater assets include:
• Over 70km of storm sewers
• 3,474 manholes and catch basins
• 6 stormwater ponds
• 3 pump stations
• 65 outlets points
• 4 oil/grit separators
About dedicated Stormwater billing:
Past practice in the Town of Cobourg was to fund stormwater infrastructure through property taxes.
Through asset management planning it was noted that that Stormwater Management was under funded
and an additional 1.2 million annually was required to properly fund the Town’s stormwater
infrastructure.
In June 2022, Cobourg Council adopted a Stormwater Asset Management Plan and approved the
implementation of a dedicated funding source for stormwater management, similar to the full cost
recovery system that is in place for water and wastewater assets in Cobourg. With this system, more
impermeable properties, such as commercial and industrial lands pay a heavier percentage of the costs
than low-density residential lands. Therefore, lessening the burden on residential property owners.
Author: Pete Fisher
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