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The city of Hamilton is set to start charging all residents a new stormwater fee next year to help deal with the rising cost of flooding.
But many rural farmers are concerned they could be out thousands of dollars, even though they contribute very little to the problem.
While the proposal hasn’t yet been finalized, the city plans to charge houses, businesses, and farms based on how many “impervious surfaces” it has that would direct rainwater into the sewers, like a paved parking lot.
While a local city councillor said the proposal was meant to respond to large commercial plazas, like a Walmart, right now, it’s farmers that will suffer most.
Bruce London has owned a farm in the Millgrove area for seven years.
There’s no city-run water or sewer system in this part of Hamilton. Any rainwater is dispersed into the ground, the catch basin for the plants, or the ditch.
London could now be out thousands of dollars a year from the city’s new stormwater fee.
“I don’t understand how they can charge farmers or any sort of rural property with water coming off of our roofs. We don’t have a sewer system, so how does it affect us,” says London.
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The new system is set to start in September 2025.
It means the average household will pay around $150 in the new fee, though water bills are expected to lower. That money will go towards helping the city cover an estimated $54 million needed to better manage stormwater.
That fee varies depending on how many “impervious” surfaces are on the land that direct rainwater to the sewers like roofs or parking lots.
And that’s a big problem for farmers who have barns and greenhouses on their land.
Under the city’s proposal, farms like London’s will be charged using the same system as big box stores, like Walmart, that have a massive paved parking lot.
London’s not sure how much he will have to pay, but farms in the area are expecting to see anywhere from $1,000 to $80,000.
“Some farms are looking at up to $77,000 plus. The argument is being made that this could put them out of business,” says Hamilton Ward 15 councillor Ted McMeekin.
Rural homeowners are also upset. Similarly, rainwater is absorbed by their land or nearby ditches, so there’s no stormwater to manage.
“The thing is that we’re all tightening our belts, especially with the amount of inflation we’ve faced since COVID-19. We’ve had to cut things out of our lifestyle to keep up. We find that the city and politicians just keep adding to our costs, instead of reducing,” says rural property owner Bob Bruce.
The city is looking to rework some of the systems and introduce a rebate program so farmers who don’t contribute to the stormwater system can lessen their fees.
Rural Hamiltonians are planning a community meeting at the Ancaster Fair Grounds this Thursday to voice their unhappiness with the system.
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