Water and Wastewater

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On January 12, an announcement from the Provincial Government was made, declaring a State of Emergency and Stay-at-Home Order. As a result, City Hall will remain closed to the public until Tuesday, February 16, 2021, following the Family Day long weekend.

The following methods of payment are available for you to pay your water bill:

Over the Phone: During the closure of City Hall, credit card payments will be accepted over the phone.
Cheques: Cheques may be placed in the drop box located at the front door of City Hall - please include the detachable portion of your bill. Please do not place cash in the drop box.
At your bank: Pay at the teller or through an ATM. You are responsible to pay any service charges levied by them. Please take the entire bill with you.
Internet banking: Most financial institutions offer the "City of Owen Sound" or "Owen Sound City" as a payee. Be sure to pick "Water" to ensure that your payment is applied to the correct account.
Mail: You may mail your cheque to City Hall - Please include the detachable portion of the bill.
City of Owen Sound - Property Tax Department
808 2nd Ave East
Owen Sound, ON. N4K 2H4
Pre-authorized payment (PAD) plan: Payments are automatically deducted from your bank account.
Online: Credit card payments may be completed through www.paysimply.ca. This secure, third-party Canadian payment provider accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express for a convenience fee.

COVID-19: City of Owen Sound

For the most up to date information, please visit the City's COVID-19 webpage.

In order to help our rate-payers during this time, the following is a list of measures the City of Owen Sound has currently implemented:

Utility bill due dates have been extended from 21 days to 36 days to allow an additional 15 days grace period on any amounts owing for the remainder of 2020;
Penalties have been reinstated effective July 1, 2020 and will be applied monthly to all utility and property tax accounts;
As we continue to navigate our way through this, we are keeping a close eye on what measures the Federal and Provincial Governments, as well as Grey County are implementing;
Current pre-authorized payment plans will continue as normal as a way for rate-payers to budget their water/wastewater billings for 2020. Please contact us directly (as soon as you are able to) if you would like to be removed from our plans;
Contact us at waterbilling@owensound.ca to discuss any specifics of your account as well as to make changes to any pre-authorized payment plans;
Please visit Grey County's COVID-19 Resources for Business and/or 211 Ontario for further information and assistance

Water and Wastewater Rates

2020-2021 Water and Wastewater Rates

In consideration of staff report CR-18-057 respecting Water and Wastewater Rates for 2020-2021, Council has approved on May 11, 2020 that surcharges will remain unchanged from the 2019-2020 water and wastewater rates.

Schedule 'A' to By-law No. 2019-095

Effective May 1, 2019 2019 - 2020 Water and Wastewater Rates
Water Service Charges
Water Meter Diameter	Monthly Service Charge
15mm 5/8in	$ 24.77
18mm 3/4in	$ 30.16
25mm 1in	$ 39.06
38mm 11/2in	$ 56.98
50mm 2 in	$111.04
75mm 3 in	$182.46
100mm 4 in	$272.06
150mm 6 in	$361.65
200mm 8 in	$540 .86

Monthly Water Consumption Charges

Block # 1 2

Block Limit per month 110m Balance

Rate per M3 $ 1.399 $1.572

Note: 1m3 (cubic meter) = 220 gallons (or 1,000 Litres)

All rates shown are for properties within the boundaries of the City of Owen Sound. Rates for properties outside the City of Owen Sound boundaries are double the amounts shown above. The monthly service charge plus applicable wastewater charges will constitute a minimum bill during a month without water consumption.

Wastewater Charges

The wastewater rate is 124% of the customer's total water charges (water consumption charge plus water service charge).

A printable version of our water and wastewater rates can be found here .

2019 Water and Waste Water Services Budget

Information regarding our 2019 water and waste water budget can be found here.

How to Pay your Water Bill

The City of Owen Sound has a number of options available to our customers for payment of your water bill:

In person: At City Hall during normal business hours. We accept payment by cheque, cash, or debit.

Cheques: Cheques may be dropped in the after hours drop box located at the front door of City Hall - please include the detachable portion of your bill. We recommend that you place your cheque in a sealed envelope with 'water billing' written upon it. Please do not place cash in the drop box.

At your bank or trust company: Pay at the teller or through an ATM. You are responsible to pay any service charges levied by them. Please take the entire bill with you.

Internet/telephone banking: Most financial institutions offer the "City of Owen Sound" or "Owen Sound City" as one of their payments. Be sure to pick "Water" and not taxes to ensure that your payment is applied to the correct account.

Mail: You may mail your cheque to City Hall - Please include the detachable portion of the bill.
City of Owen Sound - Water Billing Department
808 2nd Ave East
Owen Sound, ON. N4K 2H4

Pre-authorized payment (PAD) plan: Payments are automatically deducted from your bank account on the due date of each bill.
Credit card: Payments may be completed through www.paysimply.ca. This secure, third-party Canadian payment provider accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express for a convenience fee.

Payment must be received at City Hall by the due date to avoid penalty. A late payment charge of 1.5% (18% perannum) is calculated on the amount outstanding and will be added to the water utility account on the 15th of each month after the due date, and on each 15th of the month thereafter.

For more information, questions, or comments please contact our Utilities Collection Clerk at 519-376-4440 ex 1243 or waterbilling@owensound.ca.

Understanding your Water Bill

Water billing in the City of Owen Sound is billed every three months.

To provide clarity and transparency, we have designed a water bill template offering an explanation of the bill structure.
See sample bill.

Water Billing Cycle Map

Did you know that the first three digits of your utility account indicate when your water meter will be read?

For the account number 007.009221.00, the 007 indicates that your meter will be read on cycle 7.

Refer to our Water Billing Cycle Map to find out the meter read dates and due dates for your cycle.

Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) Enrolment

Set up a pre-authorized debit plan to pay your Water Bill conveniently and efficiently. Payments are automatically deducted from your bank account on the due date of each bill. Residents are provided the convenient option to either:

Complete a pre-authorized debit plan online form, or
Complete, sign, print, and return a pre-authorized debit plan pdf along with a void cheque to the Owen Sound Water Billing Department.

Returned payments (i.e. NSF) are subject to a $40.00 charge as well as penalty charges.

To be eligible to enroll in any of our PAD plans, there must be no outstanding arrears on your water account.

Paperless Billing (E-Billing) Enrolment

Paperless billing offers a convenient, timely, effective, and environmentally friendly way to receive your bills. These e-bills will look the same as your paper copy and your billing cycle will remain the same.

If you would like to enroll, please complete the paperless billing enrolment form. You will no longer receive a paper copy of your bill.

Water Billing Forms (Banking Change, PAD Cancellation, Mailing Address Change & More)

Below you will find the forms required to change your banking information, cancel a PAD plan, update your mailing address, and change the name on your water bill.
Forms are fillable and can be emailed to waterbilling@owensound.ca, mailed to City Hall, or dropped off in person to City Hall.

Banking Information Change

If you are currently enrolled in our pre-authorized debit plan and wish to update your banking information,
a Banking information Change Request form must be submitted along with a new void cheque.

Pre-Authorization Cancellation

If you would like to end your enrollment in our pre-authorized debit plan for water billing, please return the completed
Pre-Authorization Cancellation form to us at least 10 days prior to your next due date.

Mailing Address Change

Do you own property in Owen Sound, but would like your water bill to be mailed to an alternative address?
Please fill out a Mailing Address Change Request form.

Water Billing Name Change

Would you like to add, remove, or change a name on your water bill?

Please fill out and return the completed Water Billing Name Change Request Form.

If you are a tenant moving into a new residence in the City of Owen Sound, please fill out a billing designate form (not a water billing name change request form).

Property Sale/Purchase Form

If you are purchasing or selling a property within Owen Sound, please complete the Property Sale/Purchase Form.

Please advise us of your upcoming move at least 14 days prior to the closing date.

Billing Designate Form

If you are a tenant, you and your landlord must complete and sign a billing designate form. A billing designate form authorizes the City of Owen Sound to activate a water billing account in a tenant's name for the period that they will be residing at a rental property.

A billing designate form must be signed and completed in its entirety before a new water billing account will be opened.
Failure to do so will delay the process of transferring a water account into the tenant's name(s).

You may either mail, email, or drop-off in person the completed form at least 14 business days prior to the move-in date.

* For instructions on how to add a digital signature, please read our digital signature instruction sheet.

Home Owner Information Package

For questions and answers about buying and selling your home within the City of Owen Sound, please refer to the
Property Tax and Water Billing Home Owner Information Package.

Water Conservation Tips

Water Leaks

Guide to Detecting Water Leaks

If you have a water leak that goes undetected, your water use will increase leading to higher consumption charges, and ultimately, higher water bills.

To help avoid such instances, we have created a useful water leak detection guide for your reference.

Even a small drip can have a huge impact on your water bill. To estimate how much water is wasted on a daily/monthly/yearly basis in your household, visit DrinkTap.org*.

* Please note: this is for estimation purposes only.

Water Leak Adjustment Form

Customers may seek an adjustment to an unusually high water bill due to an undetected leak that has been fixed.
We will offer a one-time leak adjustment per property, if the criteria below is met:

An adjustment will be considered after all leaks have been repaired and verified with an actual meter reading;
Adjustment shall not be considered for disputed bills that are over six months old;
Payment equivalent to a normal usage bill is required during the review process to keep your account current;
This form must be completed and returned within twenty one (21) days after receiving the unusually high water bill.

For instructions and to fill out the form, please download our Leak Adjustment Form.

Wastewater Treatment Process & Information

The City of Owen Sound Wastewater Treatment Plant is located on the eastern shore in Owen Sound, on 3rd Avenue East, just north of the Bayshore Community Centre.

Wastewater is thoroughly treated to ensure it is safe for the public's health and the environment. For a detailed description of each treatment stage, download our wastewater treatment brochure: The City of Owen Sound's Wastewater Treatment Process.