Stormwater

Stormwater is rain or melted snow that flows off hard surfaces like roofs, driveways, and roads instead of soaking into the ground. This water travels through ditches, storm sewers, and ponds before reaching local creeks and rivers.

• Stormwater = rain or snowmelt runoff from roofs, driveways and roads that enters ditches, pipes, and ponds.
  
  
• Why a rate? To create a fair, stable, and dedicated way to fund maintenance, upgrades, and new systems where they are needed.
  
  
• Listowel today: Some drains are already funded through a dedicated tax levy through property taxes and the general tax base. Transitioning to a stormwater rate would restructure how Listowel contributes.
  
  
• Hamlets: Will be included in the new funding approach to ensure fairness across serviced areas.
  
  
• Ontario trend: Many municipalities are moving toward stormwater rates because property taxes alone don’t fully reflect how much each property contributes to runoff.

North Perth’s stormwater infrastructure is aging and some systems require upgrades to keep them functioning properly. In certain areas, urban-style drainage systems don’t exist at all, which limits the community’s ability to manage heavy rain events.

Proper investment ensures we can:

• Prevent localized flooding and erosion
• Maintain and upgrade older systems before they fail
• Extend services to areas that currently lack proper urban drainage
• Reduce costly emergency repairs
• Build resilience against more frequent and intense storms

North Perth’s stormwater network includes 64 km of linear assets with a 2025 replacement value of $38 million. (Asset Management in North Perth)

How stormwater is funded today (and what’s changing)

• Listowel today: Some drains are already funded through a dedicated tax levy through property taxes and the general tax base. Transitioning to a stormwater rate would restructure how Listowel contributes.
• Hamlets: Does not currently contribute through a dedicated stormwater rate.

What’s being considered: Moving to a stormwater rate—a dedicated, transparent charge used only for stormwater services. This would:

• Restructure how Listowel contributes, moving away from the dedicated stormwater levy, toward a clearer rate model.
• Introduce contributions for Hamlets, ensuring all serviced communities share fairly in the costs of maintaining, upgrading, and potentially expanding infrastructure.

A stormwater rate provides a stable, dedicated funding source to:

• Maintain existing pipes, culverts, ditches, catch basins, and ponds
• Upgrade aging infrastructure before it fails
• Add systems in areas that currently lack urban drainage
• Improve flood protection and property resilience
• Ensure fair cost-sharing, with fees based on property impact rather than general taxation
• Plan ahead for the effects of climate change and more frequent major storms

How is a stormwater charge different from wastewater (sewer) charges?
Wastewater is the water that leaves your home through sinks, showers, and toilets and goes to a treatment plant. Stormwater is rain and snowmelt runoff that flows over land into the drainage system. Funding stormwater separately ensures services are maintained regardless of household water use.

Why not keep funding stormwater on property taxes?
Property taxes don’t always reflect how much a property contributes to runoff. A dedicated rate ties funding to the service provided and the infrastructure needed, which is why many municipalities have already shifted to this model.

What happens to Drainage Act assessments in Listowel & Hamlets?

Under the proposed rate structure, the Hamlets would  potentially be exempt from future municipal drain costs under the Municipal Drainage Act—similar to Listowel’s current exemption, where these costs are covered through the existing stormwater levy within the Listowel boundary.