Water and Sewer

Should you have a Public Works Emergency or are concerned about your drinking water or sanitary sewer, please call 613-257-2253.

For questions regarding your water bill, please contact Jennifer Muoka at 613-257-6218 or jmuoka@carletonplace.ca.

2025 Draft Water and Sewer Budget

Staff presented the draft 2025 Water and Sewer budget to the public for comment at the October 22^nd, 2024, Committee of the Whole meeting. The draft includes a proposed 1.95% increase to water and sewer rates which will result in a total charge of $1,030 per year for a residential property with one (1) or two (2) people, an increase of $19.68 per year ($1.64 per month) over 2024 rates.

The public now has the opportunity to provide input on the proposed rate increase until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 8^th, 2024. The presentation is available for review. Please email tmcconkey@carletonplace.ca with any questions or comments before the November 8^th deadline. The final decision on the proposed rate increase will be made by Council at its regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 12^th, 2024.

Water and Sewer Rates

Please Note:

Please note section 1.1. All domestic water and sewage treatment plant charges are the responsibility of the property owner. Properties with tenant agreements with the Town already in place as of December 31st, 2023, may continue to be billed to the tenant until the Town is directed otherwise by the property owner. No new agreements to redirect charges to tenants will be permitted by the Town effective January 1st, 2024, and henceforth all charges will be billed directly to the property owner.

And section 1.3. Property owners are responsible for ensuring that they are being invoiced for the correct number of people and/or the correct services. When new residential accounts are established, they will be set up with the 3-5-person full-service rate unless written communication is received from the property owner. Corrections will only be made as of the date the Town is notified, in writing, of any discrepancy. Changes will not be backdated under any circumstances.

Quarterly Rate Description	Full Service	Full Service Less: Outside Taps	Full Service Plus: Private Swimming Pool
1 or 2 persons	$252.58	$226.24	$287.96
3 to 5 persons	$265.30	$239.04	$300.72
6,7 or 8 persons	$278.18	$251.98	$313.58
9 or 10 persons	$286.60	$260.12	$321.98
Additional Persons	$6.00	$6.00	$6.00

By-law No. 85-2023 – Regulating water rates in Carleton Place for 2024.

Water Due Dates

Due on the first business day of the following months:

February
May
August
November

Useful Reports and Documents

General Description of System

The sanitary sewer collection system and water distribution system includes manholes, water valves and chambers, and fire hydrants.

The operation and maintenance of the Water Treatment Plant, Wastewater Treatment Plant, wastewater pumping stations, and Water Tower is contracted by the Town of Carleton Place to the Ontario Clean Water Agency.

Chlorinated Water

The Town of Carleton Place prides itself on maintaining our municipal infrastructure from roads and sidewalks to our underground infrastructure. The Town of Carleton Place utilizes the Mississippi River as our water source and the water needs to be treated to make it safe for drinking. The Ontario Clean Water Agency is responsible for the operation of our Water Treatment Plant and the Town of Carleton Place overseas the drinking water distribution system.

In Carleton Place, chlorine is used as a primary disinfectant during the water treatment process to kill and destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, and other water-borne pathogens. As a result, residents may notice a slight odour of chlorine in their water. Homes closer to the water treatment plant may have a stronger odour and chlorine levels are usually lower in the far ends of the distribution system. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) set out by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks states that the chlorine in drinking water must optimally be between 1 and 3 milligrams per litre (mg/L). Chlorine levels up to 4 mg/L are considered safe in drinking water. The Town of Carleton Place’s drinking water system typically has an average of 1.0-1.50 mg/L range of chlorine.

Using or drinking water with small amounts of chlorine does not cause harmful health effects and provides protection against waterborne disease outbreaks. Water quality, including chlorine levels, is monitored on a continual, 24-hour basis to ensure safe drinking water is provided to consumers at all times within the Town of Carleton Place.

In order to alleviate chlorine taste and odour concerns, residents can fill a pitcher, preferably glass, with water and let it stand overnight in the refrigerator to assist with dissipating some of the residual chlorine.

For more information regarding chlorine levels in the drinking water system:

Please review our Annual Report
Ontario Regulation 170/03 (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/030170)
Please contact the Public Works Department for further information at (613) 257-2253.

Town of Carleton Place Sewer and Water Lateral Policies

The Town also assumes responsibility for the structural integrity of sewer and water services from the main lines to the property line. The property owner is responsible for sewer and water services from the property line to the house. The exception to this policy is if there is a blockage in a sewer lateral, it is the property owner’s responsibility from the house to the mainline. This is in place as the house is the only source that a blockage can originate from.

This same principle would apply for a water service that is leaking, the Town assumes responsibility if the pipe is leaking from the mainline to the property line. The property owner is responsible from the property line to the house. The exception is if the water line is frozen, the Town will provide assistance to thaw the frozen line as it is difficult to determine where the line has actually frozen. The Town may discontinue the provision of this service if the Town undertakes remedial action to ensure the portion of the water line on the Town property is adequately protected from ground frost, and the property owner does not undertake similar remedial action.

Drinking Water Quality Management System

In May 2000, the Walkerton municipal drinking water system became contaminated with E.Coli. Seven people lost their lives and thousands more became ill. The Provincial government launched an inquiry led by Justice O’Connor and his findings changed the water industry. In Part 2 of his report, he recommended the implementation of a quality management system for the municipal drinking water system (DWQMS). The Town of Carleton Place has since implemented a Drinking Water Quality Management System (DWQMS) for our drinking water system. The DWQMS ensures there are policies and procedures in place to effectively manage and continually improve our drinking water system. Our DWQMS Policy statement states this following:

The Town of Carleton Place has developed and implemented a Drinking Water Quality Management System (DWQMS) for the Class 1 drinking water distribution system owned and operated by our Town.

The Town of Carleton Place Public Works Department, its Management, and entire staff are committed to the principles and objectives set out in our Quality Management System (QMS) Policy.

The Town of Carleton Place is committed to provide safe drinking water to our residents.

In order to achieve this goal, The Town of Carleton Place has developed and is committed to ongoing maintenance and continual improvement of this Quality Management System.

Our Management and designated staff will remain committed to achieve compliance with all applicable legislation and regulations.

Our Management and entire staff will act to ensure the implementation of this Policy and will monitor progress of the Quality Management System.

If you have any questions or would like to view the Operational Plan for the Distribution System, please contact the Public Works office, 613-257-2253.

Safe Drinking Water Act Section 14(4)

In accordance with Section 14(4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, should any resident of Carleton Place wish to view the Service Agreement between the Town of Carleton Place and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, please call 613-257-2253 to make an appointment to view the agreement.

Source Water Protection

Drinking water source protection safeguards public health by protecting the municipal drinking water supply from contaminants like sewage, fuel and chemicals. If water sources become contaminated, treatment can be much more expensive or even impossible.

Ontario’s Clean Water Act provides the legislative framework for Source Protection in Ontario. It ensures communities prevent contamination of their municipal drinking water supplies by developing collaborative, watershed-based source protection plans that are locally driven and based on science.

In Carleton Place, the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan applies and has been in effect since 2015. The Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan contains policies to protect our current and future drinking water supplies from threats of contamination or overuse. Municipal drinking water can come from groundwater wells that draw water from underground aquifers, or surface water, which draws water from lakes and rivers. Source protection policies related to significant drinking water threats only apply in designated drinking water protection zones. These vulnerable areas are also known as Intake Protection Zones (IPZ) and Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPA). Different policies apply to different parts of the IPZ or WHPA because certain areas are more vulnerable to contamination.

Do I live in a drinking water protection zone?
Use this interactive map to determine if your home or business is located in a drinking water protection zone. If you live in a drinking water protection zone, you’re encouraged to take easy steps to protect drinking water for yourself and your neighbours.
Depending on your property’s location and land uses, you may also be required to follow a prescribed risk management plan for your property or subject to additional protective restrictions. Learn more here: https://www.mrsourcewater.ca/en/risk-management-and-environmental-compliance/risk-management-plans

How were Drinking Water Protection Zones determined?
Drinking water protection zones have been determined through a series of technical studies completed by the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region. These studies identified municipal drinking water sources, areas vulnerable to contamination and what the potential sources of contamination might be. The results of those technical studies were used to direct source protection policy decisions and determine the areas where policies apply.

What are drinking water threats?
Under certain circumstances, the following can be significant threats to our drinking water, as prescribed under the Clean Water Act, 2006:
• Waste disposal sites
• Septic systems
• Sewage treatment plants and sewers
• Manure, bio-solids, and livestock
• Fuel and oil
• Commercial fertilizer and pesticides
• Road salt and snow storage
• Chemicals and organic solvents
• Aquaculture
• Oil or gas pipelines

How does the source protection plan address threats to drinking water?
The goal of the Source Protection Plan is to work with property owners to manage or eliminate activities that are or could become significant threats to drinking water sources. In most cases, property owners can reduce the risk and allow the activity to continue with mitigation in place. The Clean Water Act provides several tools to accomplish this, such as education and outreach, risk management plans and changes to municipal land use planning documents. Often a combination of tools works best.

Who is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Source Protection Plan?
Provincial Ministries, Conservation Authorities, and Municipalities all have different responsibilities for implementing Source Protection Plans. Municipalities have the primary responsibility to implement and enforce policies locally to manage drinking water threats and to implement planning and restricted land use policies.

Who can I contact for more information?
Marika Livingston, Project Manager
Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority Office
3889 Rideau Valley Drive
P.O. Box 599
Manotick, ON K4M 1A5
613-692-3571 x 1148
Toll Free: 1-800-267-3504
marika.livingston@mrsourcewater.ca