Windsor mayor reviewing complaints over high stormwater charges

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The City of Windsor is investigating issues with stormwater billing after some residents reported higher‑than‑expected charges on their ENWIN bills.

Several residents have posted on social media claiming their bills are about $200 higher than they should be.

Mayor Drew Dilkens says recent changes to the city’s stormwater financing should not result in a $200 increase for households where no changes have been made.

City council approved a new stormwater fee system in 2024 that charges properties based on the amount of land that cannot absorb water, such as parking lots or paved surfaces, which contribute to runoff entering the sewer system. Under the previous system, non‑residential properties, including malls and big box stores, were paying less than homeowners.

The city later offered rebates in 2025 after many homeowners saw higher bills than expected when the new system was implemented.

Dilkens says the city will review billing concerns for residents who believe their charges are still too high.

“If you give us authorization — all you have to do is call ENWIN — make that happen, and then email my office, we will dig into every single complaint and look at all the bills and do the comparisons because we made a commitment to people, and we are going to follow through on that commitment,” he said.

Dilkens said businesses that were contributing large amounts of stormwater to the system were previously not paying their share.

“When it rains there’s a lot of runoff from their business, from their property, that enters the stormwater system and you and I as homeowners were basically helping to offset the cost of their water management,” he said. “We said there has to be a fairer way, and out of this, residential consumers should see a discount in the amount that they pay for stormwater financing.”

Dilkens said the city has received few complaints since the issue was addressed in 2025.

“The implementation between the city and ENWIN, it got messed up, and I went very publicly and said this was not how it was supposed to be, and we are going to make it right,” he said. “People started seeing the credits on their bill within a few months, and we did make it right as we committed to do. Once we made that commitment, and once we made it right, almost like a cliff the calls fell off.”

Residents who have provided authorization through ENWIN are required to email the mayor’s office at [e-mail] for their bill to be reviewed.

Under the updated system, the previous sewer surcharge has been split into wastewater and stormwater line items on ENWIN bills. Properties with larger amounts of impervious surfaces pay more based on how much water drains into the stormwater system.

— With files from AM800’s The Kyle Horner Show