Where does Cornwall’s water come from?

Who uses the Municipal water supply?

How are costs of the water system currently recovered?

What is the Universal Water Metering Project

In 2021, the city commissioned the development of a Water Conservation and Servicing Master Plan. One of the recommendations in the Master Plan is to implement universal water metering at all water service connections in the city.

In August 2022, City Council awarded a contract to Diameter Services Inc. to design, procure, and manage the implementation of universal water metering across the community. On June 26, 2023, Council accepted a Findings and Recommendations Report and Financial Report which detailed the design and estimated costs of the project. 

What is a water meter?

How will users benefit from a water meter?

What will this mean for future water bills?

The cost of operating water utilities in North America is rising much faster than any other utility. This is because the costs associated with maintaining facilities and treating water are also on the rise. The easiest way to avoid unnecessary water and wastewater treatment costs, is to reduce the volume of water we use. First, we must be able to measure how much water we use and for what purposes. 

Following the installation of meters, water bills will be comprised of two portions. The first is a base rate that will provide a base revenue for the utility. The second portion will reflect the volume of water consumed.

Do some users already have water meters?

When will water meters be installed?

Who will be involved in the implementation?

The implementation of a universal water metering program will be a team effort between the City, the project Consultant, and the Contractor.

The City of Cornwall is the “Owner” that recognizes the need for the project and provides funding. The City of Cornwall represents the taxpayers’ best interest and selects projects based on maintaining or improving levels of service within the City. A “Consultant” is hired by the Owner when they don’t have the appropriate expertise in-house. The Owner provides the Consultant with the project parameters, and the Consultant’s task is to design a solution for the Owner. The Consultant specializes in the respective project field which ultimately provides technical, financial, and scheduling efficiencies. The “Contractor” is hired to implement and construct the approved design under the supervision of both the Consultant and the Owner. The Contractor also specializes in the respective project field. The Owner, Consultant and Contractor work closely throughout the entire duration of the project. The relationship with the three ensures that all parties are held accountable, and the highest quality of work is achieved.

How will I know how much my future bill will be?

How much water do you use? Could you be using less?

Will the City offer any rebates and incentives?

Smart water meter systems help users understand much water they are using and provide daily use summaries to the user through an online portal. Users can also choose to be notified of abnormal water usage by email or text message notifications.

Common notifications for increased water usage reflect increased usage at night when most people would be asleep. This is usually the result of a tap that wasn’t closed tightly or a running toilet. Investigating the root of these notifications is a quick and easy way to conserve water!

Installing water meters across the City will also allow the City to charge water and wastewater rates that are based on the amount of water consumed. This type of rate structure allows all users to be billed more fairly for the water they use. Users will be able to influence the consumptive portion of their water bill simply by being more conscious about the water they use.

The installation of smart water meters will improve the City’s ability to find leaks in the water pipes under the ground. Finding and repairing these leaks as quickly as possible provides operating cost savings that are ultimately passed on to the customer and rate payer.

The early detection of leaks in the system saves money by reducing the amount of water that must be produced. In addition, the cost of repairing leaks soon after they occur are typically less expensive than doing so when the problem persists over time leading to greater damage and repair costs.

Water meter readings will be sent automatically to the water accounts department using wireless technology like sending a text message. All the readings from the smart water meters in homes and businesses and other smart meters installed throughout the system will be combined with water production readings.

Although this may seem like a complicated process, the City would simply add up all the readings from the smart water meters and compare it to the amount of water produced at the Water Purification Plant.

If the plant made more water than homes or businesses used, then crews are sent out to find and repair the leaks. In addition to saving money, having the ability to find leaks quickly allows for the repairs to be scheduled at a time when shutting off the water will be of minimal inconvenience to property owners.

To promote residential water conservation and efficiency, the City of Cornwall has developed a rebate program for residents who replace high-flow toilets (13L per flush or more), with WaterSense® certified low-flow toilets. To learn more about the program, click here.

To help residents identify where they use water and highlight opportunities to reduce their water-use, the City has contracted the St. Lawrence River Institute to offer FREE residential water-use audits.

To sign up to the program online, click here.

To print the sign-up form and submit by mail, click here

In April 2023, City staff coordinated a local Rain Barrel Sale for residents through rainbarrel.ca. The use of rain barrels enables residents to collect rainwater for non-potable use on their property, reducing demand on the treated water supply. The supplied rain barrels are constructed from used food canisters, saving them from the landfill and supporting a circular economy.