City of Winnipeg releases upcoming sewer rate hikes

Your utility bill could be going up next year as the city calls for water and sewer rate hikes. CTV’s Danton Unger explains.

Winnipeggers can expect their water and sewer bills to increase over at least the next two years, but the hike is not expected to be as steep as initially projected.

According to a City of Winnipeg news release, for a typical household of four people, the average water and sewer bill will increase by about $44 next year and $68 in 2027, or 2.8 per cent and 4.2 per cent, respectively.

The release notes that earlier forecasts projected increases of 28.5 per cent in 2026 followed by a 17.3 per cent hike in 2027, but that was rejected by city council in March.

The rate hikes come in part to finance the city’s construction of a new wastewater treatment facility at the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC)—described as Winnipeg’s largest infrastructure project.

The city said negotiations and funds from the federal and provincial governments have allowed the city to finance its share of the project over several decades, preventing short-term sharp rate increases.

The redevelopment project of the NEWPCC comes at a cost of over $3 billion across three phases, according to the city.

The rate changes would take effect at the start of 2026, pending city council approval.