Port Colborne, Ontario residents could see yet another adjustment to their 2026 water and wastewater bills after the Niagara Region posted a public notice on July 24 proposing changes to budgets and rates that were approved earlier this year.
The amendment to the 2026 water and wastewater rate operating and capital budgets opens a public comment window for households across all 12 Niagara municipalities. In Port Colborne, where combined water and wastewater charges were already set to jump 8.89 percent this year, the notice raises the possibility that costs could move up or down from their current trajectory.
A typical single-family home using 142 cubic metres of water is currently on track to pay about $180 more in 2026 compared with last year. The region’s portion of the bill is the biggest driver, making up 66 percent of a Port Colborne household’s total wastewater charge. Niagara’s overall requisition for water and wastewater is slated to reach $189.9 million, up from $173.5 million in 2025.
Extra pressure on the local system comes from Port Colborne’s geography. The city sits on rock, a water table, and along the lake and canal, and designed storm sewers cover only one-third of the urban area. Because storm water and groundwater frequently leak into sanitary pipes, every litre of clean water used sends 1.83 litres back to Niagara Region for treatment. Port Colborne accounts for 5.22 percent of all local wastewater flows even though it has just 4.1 percent of the region’s population.
The region has pencilled in additional increases of 9.54 percent in 2027 and 9.37 percent in 2028, driven partly by aging infrastructure. Nearly half of Niagara’s water and wastewater facility assets are rated in poor to very poor condition, yet only one-fifth of water investment needs and one-third of wastewater investment needs are currently funded.
Residents who want to weigh in can review the full notice and submit feedback during the public comment period. Details are posted on the region’s public notices page.
