Sanitary Servicing Strategy Fund Program

The Sanitary Sewer Trunk Charge (SSTC) is one source of revenue for the Sanitary Servicing Strategy Fund (SSSF). Upon receipt of an approved development permit or building permit, the successful applicant must pay applicable charges (see the list of current rates below).

All money collected is deposited into the SSSF and used to build new major sanitary trunk sewers under the approved Sanitary Servicing Strategy. The SSTC is levied when development permits are issued for development, redevelopment or renovations on the premises abutting an EPCOR Water Service Inc. or City right-of-way in which there is a sanitary or combined sewer.

Rates

Redevelopment/Expansion (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, or Institutional)

Charges are calculated by the equation A minus B, where:

• A = The Sanitary Sewer Trunk Charge that should be paid by the new development based on the rate applicable to that particular development.
• B = Charges paid, or would have been paid had a sanitary sewer trunk charges been levied with respect to the existing development.

If A minus B results in zero or negative amount, no payment or refund is applicable.

Illustrative Example

For a new 15 suite apartment built on the sites of 3 existing single-family residential houses

• New dwelling units (15): $1,259 x 15 = $18,885 (A)
• Demolished dwelling units (3): $1,764 x 3 = $5,292 (B)
• SSTC charge = $13,593 (A-B)

Note: SSTC charges applicable to each development permit will be confirmed by the Development Officer at the time of application.

An Expansion Assessment charge is applied to an entire property located in areas planned to be serviced by the existing or future major sanitary trunks. The applicant is required to pay at the time of the Development Agreement an amount based on the current sanitary trunk rate for the specific area.

Rates

The rates are applicable to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional developments.

Charges are calculated by the equation A x B, where:

A = Area of property in hectares
B = EA rate of specific sanitary trunk

Illustrative Example:

For a property of 50 hectares that is within the SESS trunk sewer basin, the amount of Expansion Assessment charge is: 50 x $25,186 = $1,259,300

As the owner of the sanitary utility, EPCOR contributes to the Sanitary Servicing Strategy Fund (SSSF). The contribution amount was originally set at $2.6 million per year from 1999 to 2013 when the Sanitary Servicing Strategy for the 21st Century report was approved by the City Council in 1998.

The contribution was later adjusted by the City Council to $1.3 million per year for 17 more years starting in 2007.

Since 2017 EPCOR has been making this contribution subsequent to the transfer of drainage utility from the City to EPCOR. The final utility contribution was made in 2023. No further utility contributions have been made to the SSSF.