Summary#
Montréal city council unanimously adopted the bylaw Règlement relatif à la tarification de l'eau fournie aux immeubles non résidentiels (exercice financier 2026), which sets water charges for non-residential properties for 2026. City staff say the goal is to help fund water services and encourage environmentally responsible water use.
- Owners of non-residential properties with water meters are charged according to how much water they use.
- The rates for every consumption tier rise by 5% for 2026. The 1,000 m³ allocation remains unchanged.
- For mixed residential and non-residential buildings, 225 m³ per dwelling is deducted from total use to calculate the non-residential part.
- The decision summary says separate rules apply to dividing the charge among non-residential co-owners in divided co-ownership buildings, but does not give those rules.
What it means for you#
- Owners of metered non-residential properties: Your property is subject to a consumption-based water charge. At the same metered use, the 5% rate increase means a higher charge than under the same rates before the increase.
- Owners of mixed-use buildings: The calculation deducts 225 m³ for each dwelling before assessing non-residential use.
- Residential-only property owners and residents: The materials describe the charge as applying to metered non-residential properties; they do not say this decision directly changes residential water charges.
Money#
The city expects $11.1 million in revenue for the 2026 financial year.
- The charge is paid by owners of metered non-residential properties. The materials do not say whether the rates include taxes.
- No estimate of the added cost to individual owners is provided.
What is unclear#
- The rate table is not included in the supplied materials, so the dollar rates for each consumption tier cannot be checked.
- The materials do not give details on billing, payment deadlines, or how the 1,000 m³ allocation is applied.
- The detailed rules for sharing charges among non-residential co-owners are not provided.
- The adopted bylaw text is not included, so these details could not be checked against its legal wording.
Case for#
- A charge based on measured water use links the amount paid to consumption.
- City staff say the charge is intended both to fund water-management services and to encourage environmentally responsible use.
Case against#
- The 5% rate increase raises the charge per unit of water at the same consumption, but the materials do not estimate how much particular owners may pay.
- The rate table and detailed billing rules are absent from the supplied materials, limiting a reader’s ability to check how the charge will apply.