Commercial property owners in Windsor will be able to get a discount on costly sewer upgrades.

Windsor City Council is considering offering a significant rebate to non-residential property owners who say they face huge tax increases due to the city’s recently updated sewer levy.

Windsor, like many Ontario cities, is changing how it calculates the taxes property owners must pay for wastewater and stormwater treatment projects.

City officials say the new formula will ensure large commercial property owners pay a fair share of the load they place on the city’s sewer system.

How does this work

Concrete does not absorb water during rainstorms, meaning that the water flows into the city sewer system through pumping stations and treatment plants. This puts pressure on the storm drainage system, which if exceeded can cause flooding throughout the city.

Thousands of basements flooded during the devastating once-in-a-century storms that hit Windsor in 2016 and 2017, causing more than $230 million in insured damage in both years.

This new calculation forces property owners to pay a fee based on the size of the impervious zone—the area that cannot absorb liquid, such as rainwater—on the property. The old system was based on water consumption.

City officials say most homeowners will save money when the new rates go into effect next year, as will many small and medium-sized businesses. This is because they tend to have less impervious land and more grass and gardens, which help absorb rainwater.

But large commercial property owners with large concrete spaces such as shopping malls, movie theaters and big box stores could see bills nearly triple.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, Environment Canada says parts of Windsor-Essex have already received about 100 millimeters of rain. (Michael Evans/CBC)

The city may offer a loan

The Windsor Port Authority said the change would result in a $310,000 bill, which it said was unfair given that most of the water that falls during storms flows into the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair rather than into the city sewer system. system.

City officials are now recommending a credit capped at 40 percent for properties that discharge stormwater into these bodies of water if they can prove it through video, maintenance drawings or stormwater management reports.

Property owners must apply and be approved for the loan, which can be applied to multi-residential or non-residential properties.

The property cannot be connected to the city storm sewer.

There are also new deals for homeowners wanting to help reduce the amount of water entering the city’s sewer system, including a $120 rebate on a rain barrel and a free tree.

This is in addition to previously announced programs such as the Basement Flood Prevention Program.

The same changes will apply to city-owned properties, resulting in significant increases in fees due to large impervious areas such as parking lots,” city officials wrote in a report to council.

The council will consider the changes at its meeting on Monday.