HAMILTON, ON – Hamilton City Council has completed their review and confirmed the 2025 water rate budget, paving the way for critical investments that will benefit the community now and for generations to come. The multi-year budget prioritizes resilient infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and the reliable delivery of essential water services.
The 2025 water rate budget focuses on key initiatives designed to improve water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, ensuring safe, sustainable, and efficient services for Hamiltonians.
Key initiatives include:
- Upgrading Aging Infrastructure: Critical projects to replace and modernize water and wastewater treatment systems will enhance service reliability and protect public health.
- Enhancing Climate Resilience: Improvements to stormwater systems will help the City better manage extreme weather events and mitigate flooding risks.
- Supporting Efficiency and Growth: Strategic investments will support community growth, meet regulatory requirements, and minimize operating costs through streamlined processes.
These initiatives reflect the City’s commitment to sustainability, ensuring Hamilton remains a vibrant and thriving community. Major upgrades to facilities like the Woodward and Dundas wastewater treatment plants will improve service reliability, support growth and development, and enhance environmental stewardship to protect local waterways and natural ecosystems.
To support these initiatives, a typical Hamilton household consuming 200 cubic metres of water annually will pay approximately $1,060 for water, wastewater, and storm services in 2025. This represents an increase of $96, or 9.95 per cent, over the 2024 average of $965.
The budget is part of a 10-year strategy to strengthen Hamilton’s water and sewer systems, with annual rate adjustments of approximately 10 per cent. These increases will fund essential repairs, replacements, and modernization projects, including ongoing work at the Woodward Water Treatment Plant, the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Dundas Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Residents are encouraged to explore the details of the 2025 water rate budget and its benefits at www.hamilton.ca/RateBudget.
Quick facts
- The City of Hamilton owns and manages $14.6 billion in water, stormwater, and wastewater assets ($4.25B in water, $3.14B in stormwater and $7.25B in wastewater), including 5,266 kilometres of water and sewer pipes and more than 250 facilities.
- Over 125 kilometres of water and sewer pipes are scheduled for major repairs or replacement within the next five years.
- The City of Hamilton has the second-oldest drinking water system and third-oldest wastewater system in Canada, with lower city water and sewer infrastructure dating back to the mid-1800s.