Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program

City of Toronto · The City of Toronto's Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program provides rebates on the sewer portion of water bills for industrial, commercial, and institutional busines…

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Overview

The City of Toronto's Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program provides rebates on the sewer portion of water bills for industrial, commercial, and institutional businesses that use purchased drinking water for on-site processes and discharge less water to the sanitary sewer system than they consume. The rebate amount depends on the percentage of water diverted from the sewer system and the business's annual water consumption.

Eligibility

Industrial, commercial, or institutional (ICI) water customer using purchased water for on-site operationsSanitary sewer discharge must be reduced relative to purchased water amount, based on thresholds tied to annual water consumptionWater discharged to sanitary, storm, or combined sewers, used for irrigation, or transported off-site is not eligibleMust be in good standing with City Revenue Services for tri-annual verification eligibility

Eligible projects

Boiler and cooling tower processes that reduce water discharged to sewer through blowdown managementProduct manufacturing processes where water is incorporated into the productIndustrial processes that divert or consume water without returning it to the sanitary sewer systemWater efficiency improvements that reduce sanitary sewer discharge

Financing terms

Rebate applied to sewer portion of water bill, retroactive to date letter of intent is receivedPercentage rebate amount equals the percentage of purchased water not discharged to sanitary sewer, multiplied by the current sewer surcharge rate (57% as of 2026)Initial application has nine-month submission window; subsequent years require renewal by February 1Qualified clients may apply for tri-annual verification process to submit verification only every three years instead of annuallyApplications received after September 30 are processed with the following year's applications

How to apply

1Check eligibilityConfirm you meet every criterion listed above before you start.

2Prepare the project packageProject description, budget with quotes, team, and recent financial statements.

3Apply on toronto.caGovgrant members can draft the application with AI and export a formatted PDF.

4Respond to reviewer questionsMost programs come back with one round of questions within a few weeks of submission.

Additional information

Requires engineering report prepared by licensed Professional Engineer of Ontario with detailed process documentation and meter readingsSupport available through Partners in Project Green to help locate engineers for report preparationTri-annual eligibility requires three consecutive years of approved rebates with water consumption and discharge percentages varying no more than 10% annually

At a glanceMaximumVariesProviderCity of TorontoDeadlineRolling intakeStatusOpenRegionOntarioOfficial sourcetoronto.ca ↗

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