Stormwater Charge Frequently Asked Questions
What is stormwater?
Stormwater is the rain and melted snow that flows from your property, onto the streets and into the storm drains. Along the way, the stormwater picks up debris, chemicals and other pollutants from rooftops and paved surfaces that enter the storm drains and watercourses.
What is the Stormwater Charge?
The stormwater charge is a user fee that will be used to help fund Newmarket's Stormwater Management program. The stormwater charge came into effect in 2017. Prior to 2017, stormwater management was funded through property taxes and the water bill.
What is Stormwater Management?
The Town provides stormwater management services to protect the community and environment from stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is water that flows off properties mostly due to rain and snow events. Hard surfaces like roofs, driveways, and parking lots increase the amount of runoff from each property. Stormwater management controls water flow quantity in order to help prevent flooding and water flow quality in order to protect the environment.
Why did the Town introduce a Stormwater Charge?
Newmarket is a growing community and there is more stormwater than ever before due to climate change. A stormwater charge will help fund Newmarket's stormwater management services and help address our three major challenges:
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Flood Protection
- Severe weather events that used to happen every forty years now happens every six. As a consequence, damage from storm events has recently become the biggest cause for insurance claims in Canada. This rate will help us adapt and protect homes and businesses in Newmarket from severe weather events.
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Environmental Protection
- As water runs off properties, it can carry contaminants with it. Runoff from urban and rural areas have upset Lake Simcoe's ecosystem. The Town is developing a comprehensive stormwater management master plan, as per the regulatory requirements outlined in the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, to restore waterways and breeding grounds.
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Stormwater Infrastructure
- The Town has 53 ponds, 55 kilometres of waterways and 225 kilometres of sewers that are maintained and replaced as they age. This user rate will provide a funding source that is reliable, predictable, and fair to ensure the service can continue to be effectively run in the future.
Where does the stormwater currently go?
Stormwater from rain and snow melt naturally soaks into the ground in a process called infiltration. With Newmarket being an urbanized community with houses, roads, parking lots and other hard surfaces, these factors prevent water from infiltrating into the ground. The disruption to the water cycle means that stormwater runs off to other areas, such as ponds and watercourses, which can lead to flooding, and other environmentally damaging effects.
What is the difference between the stormwater charge and the water and wastewater charge?
The stormwater charge is a new user fee that will be used to fund Newmarket's Stormwater Management program. The water and wastewater charge is part of the Newmarket portion of your NT Power bill. The water and wastewater charge is used to fund the maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure and separate from the storm drain infrastructure. Learn more about water and wastewater in Newmarket.
Is there a credit program for residents?
There are currently no credits towards the stormwater charge for residential properties. However, the Town is offering a subsidized backyard tree-planting program for residents as a thank you for being environmentally conscious. To extend our appreciation, the Town is partnering with a community organization, (LEAF) Local Enhancement and Appreciation and the Regional Municipality of York to offer highly subsidized backyard tree plantings to Newmarket residents. Any Newmarket resident who would like a backyard tree can contact LEAF directly. The Town will cover an additional $100 towards the purchase prices of one tree per property through this already subsidized
Backyard Tree Planting Program.
Can I appeal my stormwater charge?
If you feel there are inaccuracies during the process of calculating your stormwater charge due to the property size noted by your property assessment, please call MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporate) at Toll Free 1-866-296-MPAC (6722) to have the property size recalculated. Otherwise, please note that only properties that are exempt from user fees under legislation are eligible to appeal their stormwater charge. For more information, call the Town of Newmarket at 905-895-5193.
I am a renting a place in Newmarket, do I still need to pay the stormwater charge on my Hydro Bill?
Yes, all charges on your NT Power bill are expected to be paid in full. However, we encourage tenants to speak with their landlord about the stormwater sharge as the charge was previously issued through property taxes. If you have further questions regarding the stormwater charge, please give the Town of Newmarket a call at 905-895-5193 or email
[email protected]If you are a tenant that is moving, and closing your NT Power Account, please speak with your landlord about the remaining amounts for the stormwater charge to ensure all funds are settled prior to closing the account.
Unpaid amounts may transfer to the property owner's tax account for collection and apply an administrative fee as stipulated under Section 398 of the
Municipal Act, 2001. S.O. 2001
, Chapter 25.
Why is the stormwater charge billed on the NT Power bill and not with property taxes? The stormwater charge was introduced in 2017 and was previously collected with property taxes. However, it was found in 2018 that showing the Stormwater Charge as a Special Charge on the property tax bill was not in compliance with two pieces of legislation: 1. Ontario Regulation 75/01 of the Municipal Act, 2001, being a regulation that sets out the form and content required for tax notices, and 2. s.326 of the Municipal Act, 2001 which outlines the requirements for a Special Service. Provincial legislation takes precedence over municipal by-laws, and therefore the Stormwater charge must be billed in an alternate way, and not on the property tax bill. In this case, the hydro and water bill (NT Power Bill).
The shift to collecting the stormwater charge on the NT Power bill allows the Town to streamline the collection process to keep all water-related charges on one bill, provide transparency on the charge, and ease of payment for residents.
Do I have to pay the entire stormwater charge for the full year if I am selling my property and moving?The stormwater charge is collected on the NT Power Bill. When you close your NT Power account because you are selling your property you will be responsible for the entire stormwater charge for the year. The final owing amount for the stormwater charge will be noted on your Final Bill – however you can recover these costs through your real estate lawyer.
When selling a home, similar to how the homeowner is required to finalize and settle payments for their property taxes and other utility bills, the resident can recover the stormwater cost from the new homeowner through their real estate lawyer. Your lawyer will be able to determine the appropriate stormwater charge amount to pass onto the new homeowner based on the transfer of ownership date, and the amount that has been paid for by the previous owner through a statement of adjustment.
