2012 Rate Supported Budgets:
Toronto Water and Solid Waste Management
- What is the Toronto Water Operating Budget?
- How does Toronto's residential water rates compare?
- How much will water rates increase in 2012?
- Toronto Water Services - 2012-2021 Capital Budget and Plan
- What is the Solid Waste Management Operating Budget?
- How much will garbage rates increase?
- Solid Waste Management - 2012-2021 Capital Budget and Plan
- More information is available in corporate reports of the Corporate Budget Overview
Water Services
Toronto Water is responsible for water treatment and supply; wastewater collection and treatment; and stormwater management across the City.
- Water treatment and supply is managed using 4 water filtration plants; 10 reservoirs and 4 elevated storage tanks; 5,015 km of distribution watermains and 510 km of trunk watermains; 52,900 valves and 40,460 hydrants; 470,202 water service connections; 18 water pumping stations;
- Wastewater collection and treatment; and stormwater management is controlled using 4 wastewater treatment plants; 5 storage and detention tanks; 4,397 km of sanitary, 1,301 km of combined and 358 km of trunk sewers; 4,305 km of storm sewers and 546 km of roadside ditches; 463,300 sewer service connections; 82 wastewater pumping stations; 371 km of water courses; 88 stormwater management ponds; 2,300 outfalls and 122,500 catchbasins.
Toronto Water has always been a rate supported budget. In 2009, the City of Toronto Solid Waste division became a rate supported budget . Solid Waste fees are used to fund garbage, recycling and organics collection. Toronto Water fees fund the safe delivery of drinking water, the collection and treatment of wastewater and stormwater management services. Fees depend on how much water you use and the size of your garbage bins.
Toronto's water and sewer pipes are aging and break regularly. We are half way through a 10-year plan that is being paid for by a 9% annual water rate increase to replace our aging pipes. This investment will prevent thousands of water main breaks and basement flooding in the future.
The Toronto Water Operating Budget of $893.3 million is made up of approximately 43% operating costs and 57% contribution to capital (Capital from Current) as noted below. The contribution to capital finances the rehabilitation of the aging water and sewer infrastructure.
2012 Toronto Water Operating Budget of $893.3 Million
($ million)
(click on image to enlarge)
Capital-from-Current Contribution, $511.8 Million, 57%
Water Supply & Treatment, $66.9 Million, 7%
Water Infrastructure Management, $9.5 Million, 1%
Operational Support, $36.4 Million, 4%
Wastewater Treatment, $103.3 Million, 12%
Program Support, $58.7 Million, 7%
District Operations, $88.7 Million, 10%
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Toronto’s water rates are lower than most of its neighbouring municipalities and remain among the lowest in Ontario.
Comparison of 2011 Residential Water Charges (based on 300 cubic metres/year)
(click on image to enlarge)
How much will water rates increase in 2012?
The daily cost for all residential water, wastewater and stormwater service is $2.05, an increase of 17 cents per household per day over last year. This equates to $747 per year for an average Toronto household using 300 cubic metres of water in 2012.
Actual water rate increases effective January 1, 2012:
- Residential: 9.0%
- Industrial: 9.0%
Toronto Water Services - 2012-2021 Capital Budget and Plan
The estimated replacement value of Toronto Water's inventory of capital assets is $27.865 billion.
Funding for the 2012 Capital Budget and 2013-2021 Capital Plan balances infrastructure renewal needs for state of good repair and new service improvement projects while ensuring the delivery of water supply and wastewater treatment within an increasingly stringent regulatory framework. In addition, funding is also provided to ensure that increases in system capacity keep pace with population growth.
The 2012–2021 Capital Plan totals $7.876 billion, of which $3.544 billion or 45% is projected for the first 5 years, with the final 5 years requiring funding of $4.332 billion or 55%.
Toronto Water's major emphasis in 2012 will be increased infrastructure renewal funding that will reduce backlog by $118 million to $1.555 billion by end of 2012; $60 million in basement flooding protection; and $110 million local sewer and watermain replacement and rehabilitation.
Completion of the following major capital projects:
- Coxwell Sanitary Trunk Sewer By-pass
- Avenue Road Trunk Watermain
- Horgan Water Treatment Plant Expansion
- Ashbridges Bay WWTP Primary Treatment and Odour Control (D-Building)
Initiation of the following new projects in 2012:
- Gerrard Street Trunk Watermain – replaces old cast iron main and meets future water demands
- Ashbridges Bay WWTP Primary Treatment
and Odour Control (P Building) – mitigates impacts to local community - Highland Creek WWTP Major Biosolids Treatment Upgrade – upgrades old equipment to prepare for beneficial use of biosolids
List of future major capital projects include:
- Humber WWTP Odour Control (2013) – mitigates impacts to local community
- Don & Waterfront Trunk/CSO Construction (2014) – Phase 1 of the project will twin the Coxwell Sanitary Sewer
Solid Waste Management Services (SWM)
SWM is responsible for collecting, transferring, processing and disposing of municipal waste. Solid Waste Management is on track to meet the 70% provincial overall waste diversion target. To achieve the waste diversion target of 70%, Solid Waste Management was reorganized as a self sustaining utility that would be funded from user fees both current operations and capital works.
Solid Waste Management's 2012 Operating Budget by Service is $342.6 million.
2012 Solid Waste Management Operating Budget of $343 Million by Service
($ million)
(click on image to enlarge)
Processing, $40.4 Million, 12%
Program Support, $65.4 Million, 19%
Disposal, $93.5 Million, 27%
Collection, $116.7 Million, 34%
Transfer, $29.8 Million, 8%
Solid Waste proposes a 0% rate increase in 2012 for both residential annual curbside collection rates and for Multi-Residential Front-end Bulk collection rates.
The 10-Year Capital Plan totalling $515.748 million focuses on funding major diversion facilities to advance the City's goal of 70% Diversion by investing in facilities and systems necessary to achieve this target as well as ongoing Collection Yard and Transfer Station Asset Management and Perpetual Care of closed landfills. Specifically, included in the 10-Year Capital Plan are Service Improvement initiatives to address waste diversion and recycling including:
- Expanding the Green Bin program to include apartments & condominiums as well as building additional Source Separated Organics processing capacity that will allow for expansion, and provide long term stability for the Green Bin program.
- Expanding recycling capacity by upgrading of the Dufferin Single Stream Recycling Facility from 2013 to 2015.
- Expanding the range of recyclable materials. Establishing reusable goods drop-off centres to provide residents with one-stop location for reusable goods.
- Investing in a Mechanical and Biological Treatment Facility to enable more effective separation of organics, recycling and residual waste and extend the life of the Green Lane Landfill.
The 10-Year Capital Plan also includes funding for:
- Legislative projects such as Green Lane landfill development and perpetual care of former landfills. Closed landfills will be maintained with ongoing investment in control systems on a pay-as-you go basis.
- SOGR projects such as Asset Management for Transfer Stations and Collection Yards.
Solid Waste Management Website
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