A typical family of four in Brandon, Manitoba, consuming 46 cubic meters per quarter, would see their combined water and wastewater bill climb by roughly $5.19 each month starting in 2027, under a proposal heading to city council June 15, 2026. The increase works out to about $62 per year and is part of a longer-term plan to keep taps running safely and infrastructure in good repair.
Under By-Law No. 7450, water rates would move from $3.169 to $3.279 per cubic meter, while wastewater rates would rise from $3.050 to $3.270 per cubic meter. The figures include consumption charges plus deficit and debt surcharges already on household bills. If council gives first reading at the June 15 meeting, the rates head to the Manitoba Public Utilities Board for review, a process that normally takes 10 to 12 months.
The city says the proposed rates balance keeping service affordable with the reality of rising costs. A May 2026 rate study points to inflation-bloated chemical prices, ongoing work at the water treatment plant, and a decision to double annual transfers into utility reserves from $4 million to $8 million to help pay for future capital projects. Brandon’s water and wastewater utility serves 14,970 customers, and billing revenues are projected to grow from $33.9 million in 2026 to $41.3 million by 2030.
The proposal also satisfies a 2023 order from the utilities board that required the city to file a new rate application by April 1, 2026. At that time, the board criticized a seven-year gap between rate reviews, calling the delay “unacceptable” and warning that regular reviews “protect the financial position of the utility and may reduce the need for significant rate increases.”
If council approves first reading, residents will have another chance to weigh in once the utilities board opens its public review. The new rates would take effect January 1, 2027.
