Water and wastewater accounts are billed monthly. The City offers several convenient ways to pay your bill and manage your account.
Payment Options
Choose the payment option that works best for you.
Pay your water and wastewater bill through online or telephone banking by adding the City of Port Colborne as a payee.
Use the eight-digit account number shown on your water and wastewater bill and remove the decimal when entering your account number.
Pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express. A 2.4% convenience fee applies to water and wastewater payments, with a maximum transaction of $10,000.
Pay your bill by credit card:
- Online using the One Time Payment Portal
- By phone: 905-835-2900 during regular business hours
Credit card payments are processed the next business day. To avoid late charges, make your payment at least one business day before the due date.
Set up automatic withdrawals from your bank account so your water and wastewater bill is paid automatically on the due date.
Customers who enroll in pre-authorized payments receive a one-time $25 credit on their water and wastewater account. Pre-authorized payments must remain active for at least one year or the $25 credit will be charged back to the account.
To enroll or change your pre-authorized banking information, please call our Customer Service team at 905-835-2900.
Pay your bill at the Customer Service counter on the first floor of City Hall:
66 Charlotte Street
Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed on statutory holidays
Payment can be made by cash, debit, cheque, bank draft or money order.
Pay your water and wastewater bill in person at your bank or other financial institution, including at participating ATMs.
Make your cheque payable to the City of Port Colborne and mail it to:
City of Port Colborne
66 Charlotte Street
Port Colborne, ON L3K 3C8
Include your water and wastewater payment stub and write your account number on your cheque to ensure the payment is applied to the correct account.
U.S. cheques are accepted and the exchange rate is applied on the day the payment is received.
Your payment must reach the City by the due date to avoid late fees.
A 24-hour drop box is available at the front of City Hall.
Make your cheque payable to the City of Port Colborne, include your payment stub and write your water and wastewater account number on the cheque. Post-dated cheques are accepted and will be processed on the due date.
Do not place cash in the drop box.
Go Paperless with E-Billing
Sign up for e-billing to receive your water and wastewater bill electronically.
Understanding Your Water & Wastewater Bill
Your water and wastewater bill helps fund the services and infrastructure needed to provide drinking water and manage wastewater in Port Colborne.
Water charges are based in part on the amount of water used at your property, as measured by your water meter. Residential wastewater charges for properties with a ¾-inch meter or smaller are billed as a fixed charge rather than based on water consumption.
Water and wastewater rates are established annually through the City's rate budget, which funds the day-to-day operation of these services.
View Current Water & Wastewater Rates
Billing FAQs
Historically, wastewater charges included both a fixed charge and a charge based on the amount of water used at a property. Because wastewater leaving individual properties isn't metered, water consumption was used to estimate the volume of wastewater entering the sewer system.
However, not all water used at a property enters the wastewater system. Water used for lawns, gardens, pools or washing a vehicle, for example, may never enter the sanitary sewer.
At the same time, Port Colborne's wastewater system receives additional water through inflow and infiltration. This happens when groundwater and stormwater enter the sanitary sewer system through sources such as aging infrastructure.
The City found that the amount of wastewater being sent to Niagara Region for treatment was significantly greater than the amount of treated drinking water purchased from Niagara Region.
As a result, the City moved residential properties with a ¾-inch meter or smaller to a fully fixed wastewater charge. This means wastewater charges for these properties are not based on how much water they use.
Niagara Region treats Port Colborne's drinking water before it enters the City's distribution system and treats wastewater collected through the City's sewer system.
The City pays Niagara Region for these services while also operating and maintaining Port Colborne's local water and wastewater infrastructure. The costs and infrastructure needs associated with each system are different, which is reflected in the rates established annually by Council.
A significant amount of additional water enters Port Colborne's wastewater system through inflow and infiltration. This increases the amount of wastewater that must be transported and treated.
Investing in and upgrading aging infrastructure can help reduce inflow and infiltration over time. Growth can also help distribute the costs of the system across more residential, commercial and industrial users.
Yes. The City offers credits that may help eligible customers:
- Seniors GIS Wastewater Credit: Eligible residents receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) may apply for an annual credit.
- Pre-authorized payments: Customers who enrol receive a one-time $25 credit.
- E-billing: Customers who sign up for electronic billing receive a one-time $15 credit.
Contact our Customer Service team at 905-835-2900 for assistance.
A higher-than-usual bill can be caused by increased water use, an estimated meter reading or a leak.
Common reasons for a higher bill
- A leaking toilet or plumbing fixture
- More people living or working at the property
- Lawn and garden watering during hot or dry weather
- Filling or topping up a swimming pool
- Renovations or landscaping
- A longer billing period
- Water softeners or filtration systems that are using excessive water
- An estimated meter reading followed by an actual reading
- Broken or leaking plumbing
If you can't explain an increase in your water use, check your property for leaks. All water that passes through your meter, including water lost through leaks in your private plumbing, is included in your water use.
Seniors who receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) may be eligible for an annual credit on their water and wastewater account.
To qualify, the applicant must be the account holder on the water bill and provide documentation confirming GIS eligibility.
The credit is applied at the rate approved by Council and is non-refundable. If eligibility changes during the year, the credit may be prorated.
Citizens who are eligible, please complete the Seniors GIS (Guaranteed Income Supplement) Wastewater application [PDF/159KB]. The form can be submitted by:
- Mail: 66 Charlotte Street, Port Colborne, ON, L3K 3C8
- Email: customerservice@portcolborne.ca
- Fax: 905-834-5746
If you're selling your property, a final meter reading will be completed on the closing date. A final water and wastewater bill will be mailed approximately two to three weeks after closing.
Provide the City or your lawyer with your forwarding address so we can send your final bill and any other account correspondence.