Water and wastewater rates
Water does not appear on your property tax bill, so it stays out of the tax argument even though it rises every year. A residential water bill's volumetric rate has risen from about $0.79 per cubic metre in 2012 to $1.33 in 2026, and the wastewater rate more than doubled over the same span, from about $0.98 to $2.03 per cubic metre.
Water, per m³ Wastewater, per m³
The record
Residential rates, first consumption block, as printed in the City's own rate tables and brochures. Fixed charges are per bi-monthly billing period; volumetric rates are per cubic metre.
| Year | Effective | Water fixed | Water per m³ | Wastewater fixed | Wastewater per m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Mar 1, 2012 | $22.94 | 0.7888 | $25.84 | 0.9790 |
| 2013derived | not stated | $24.03 | 0.8450 | $27.86 | 1.0826 |
| 2014 | Mar 1, 2014 | $23.67 | 0.8982 | $30.52 | 1.2472 |
| 2015 | May 1, 2015 | $23.94 | 0.9418 | $31.48 | 1.3169 |
| 2016 | Apr 1, 2016 | $24.38 | 0.9616 | $32.82 | 1.3827 |
| 2017 | May 1, 2017 | $24.92 | 0.9827 | $33.72 | 1.4201 |
| 2018derived | not stated | $25.66 | 1.0124 | $34.78 | 1.4651 |
| 2019 | May 1, 2019 | $26.60 | 1.0495 | $36.00 | 1.5165 |
| 2020 | Mar 1, 2020 | $27.44 | 1.0830 | $37.92 | 1.5974 |
| 2021 | May 1, 2021 | $28.03 | 1.1062 | $37.92 | 1.5974 |
| 2022 | May 1, 2022 | $28.88 | 1.1394 | $39.81 | 1.6773 |
| 2023 | Apr 1, 2023 | $30.04 | 1.1850 | $41.80 | 1.7611 |
| 2024 | May 1, 2024 | $31.22 | 1.2320 | $43.87 | 1.8479 |
| 2025 | May 1, 2025 | $32.46 | 1.2807 | $46.02 | 1.9387 |
| 2026 | May 1, 2026 | $33.75 | 1.3315 | $48.30 | 2.0349 |
Sources: the City's water and wastewater rate pages as captured by the Internet Archive for 2012 through 2022, and the City's annual rates brochure for 2023 onward. Rows marked derived are read from the following year's "previous rates" column, because no capture of the rates page exists in those years; their rates are as printed, but their effective dates are not recorded anywhere and are shown as not stated rather than guessed. Full per-row capture addresses are held with the site's research notes.
Source: 2026 Water & Wastewater Rates (effective May 1, 2026), City of Barrie, dated May 1, 2026. Original document. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
Four things that break a straight comparison
- 2024: the fixed charge split by meter size. Through 2023 a residential account had one fixed charge. From 2024 the table names a 16–19 mm charge and adds a separate, much larger 25 mm charge; 2025 adds 38 mm. Accounts on bigger meters saw a step change that was not a rate increase.
- 2021: wastewater was frozen. That year's increase raised water only; every wastewater figure held at its 2020 level. A flat year in the data, not a gap in it.
- 2014: the water fixed charge fell while the volumetric rate rose. That is what the document says, and it is not a transcription error.
- Effective dates move between March, April and May depending on the year, so consecutive years do not cover equal exposure. One year's page even dates its two tables differently.
Stormwater: the charge that was approved and then cancelled
Anyone who remembers the announcement may look for a stormwater line and not find one. Council approved a stormwater user fee in February 2022 that, in the City's words, "would have shown stormwater as a separate charge on water bills starting in spring 2023". During 2023 budget amendments Council cancelled it and funded stormwater renewal from property taxes instead, through an extra 1% on the dedicated infrastructure levy. So stormwater is paid on the tax bill, not the water bill. See the infrastructure gap, where that same 1% appears from the other direction.
What the rates are for
Water and wastewater are supposed to be self-funding: the rates cover the systems' operating and renewal costs rather than drawing on property taxes. The current statutory plan behind them is the Ontario Regulation 453/07 financial plan of April 2021, which forecasts 2021 through 2030 and is still the newest one published.
Source: Water and Wastewater Ontario Regulation 453/07 Financial Plan — Financial Plan #014-301, City of Barrie (Watson & Associates Economists Ltd.), dated April 29, 2021. Original document. The statutory financial plan behind the rates, forecasting 2021 to 2030. Still the current plan: no newer O. Reg. 453/07 plan has been published. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
The 2026 brochure lives at an address the City overwrites every spring, and it has no Internet Archive capture. The copy behind this page was taken 2026-08-11; anyone following that link from spring 2027 onward — the new brochure can land as early as March — will see different figures at the same address.
Common questions
How much are Barrie water rates?
For 2026 the residential volumetric rates are $1.33 per cubic metre for water and $2.03 for wastewater (first consumption block), up from about $0.79 and $0.98 in 2012. Fixed charges apply per bi-monthly billing period on top; the full 2012–2026 record is in the table on this page.
Are water rates part of Barrie property taxes?
No. Water and wastewater are billed separately from property tax and rise on their own schedule; the rates are supposed to be self-funding, covering the systems' operating and renewal costs rather than drawing on property taxes.
Is there a stormwater charge on Barrie water bills?
No. Council approved a stormwater user fee in February 2022 that would have appeared on water bills from spring 2023, then cancelled it during 2023 budget amendments and funded stormwater renewal from property taxes instead, through an extra 1% on the dedicated infrastructure levy — see the infrastructure gap.