Understanding your water utility bill & water rates

For all customers: your bill may fluctuate depending on the number of days billed for in a payment period.

For customers with water meters: your bill will also fluctuate based on the amount of water you have used.

The number of days you are billed for may vary as meters aren’t always read on the same day each month. However, it is typically between 28 and 30 days.

Turning river water into safe drinking water has a cost, but Calgary is fortunate to have clean water sourced from the nearby Bow glacier. The source water doesn’t require as much cleaning treatment as wastewater.

It costs The City of Calgary more to collect wastewater from residential homes and commercial locations and then treat this wastewater to remove solids like feces, dishwasher food particles, etc., and return the treated water safely to the Bow River.

The average Calgarian uses 7m³, or 7,000 litres, of water every month. While a family of three can expect to use 19m³, or 19,000 litres, of water every month.

For tips on how you can reduce your water use, check out saving water in your home  and the Homeowner Water Guide.

Metered customers

If you are a metered customer as water travels into your home or business, it is measured and recorded by your water meter and your Water Charge and Wastewater Charge are then calculated based on that usage.

Learn how to read your water meter here.

Flat rate customers

If you are a residential customer on a flat rate, your water charge is determined by the size of both your lot and your residence.

Visit the residential rates here.

The City uses water meters that meet industry standards. Water meters are mechanical devices – water needs to pass through the meter in order to record use. To certify the meter’s accuracy, all meters are tested by the manufacturer at three different flow rates.

We are also one of the only municipalities in Canada to own a state-of-the-art Water Meter Test Bench manufactured by MARS Company, an industry leader in meter testing technology.

Learn how a water meter works here.

If you are a metered customer your water meter records how much water you use, and your Water Charge and Wastewater Charge are then calculated based on that usage. When you receive your bill, it shows what the meter reading was and whether it was an actual reading or an estimated meter reading.

If we cannot obtain a meter reading, your usage is estimated based on past use. This is referred to as an estimated meter reading. The next time the meter reader is able to get a reading, your next water bill is updated with the actual data and you may notice some minor adjustments to your charges in order to reconcile any difference.

If you have received an estimate and would like to submit a reading, please contact ENMAX at 403-310-2010. You can also submit a meter reading to ENMAX online.

If you receive a bill that is higher than expected, it could be the result of an undetected leak.

The first step we recommend is to work through our high consumption checklist. This guide can help you troubleshoot causes of high water consumption.

If a cause cannot be found, please contact ENMAX at 310-2010 for further investigation. If you have received a water bill that is equal to or greater than three times your average bill for that season, call ENMAX as soon as possible.

Please note that it takes time to review each situation and work to find the cause of the high water use. Depending on call volume and length of time needed to investigate, there may be higher than usual wait times for you to have your specific situation reviewed.

There are two types of charges on your water bill: Usage and fixed.

Usage Rates

Water and Wastewater rates are variable. They are based on the amount of water your household consumes and returns to the system, multiplied by a rate.

Usage rates pay for the treatment of water and wastewater.

• Your wastewater consumption is reduced by 12 per cent (residential), 10 per cent (business), 5 per cent (multi-family) each bill, all year long, to reflect that not all water used is returned to the system for treatment. This percentage recognizes seasonal fluctuations in water use, like outdoor watering.

Fixed Charges

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Service Charges are fixed charges – These are a flat fee based on 30-days and are not impacted by your water consumption. 

For water treatment and supply

• Usage Rate: Pays for water consumption, including cooking, bathing, watering your garden and drinking. It pays for the cost of treating and delivering water to homes. A bill will reflect water usage times this per cubic meter rate. One cubic meter is equal to 1,000 litres, 220 gallons or 10 bathtubs full of water.
• Fixed Charge: Pays for services such as meter reading, billing, meter repair and providing fire protection.

For wastewater collection and treatment

• Usage Rate: Pays for the costs to treat wastewater produced from flushing toilets and draining sinks and bathtubs.
• Fixed Charge: Pays for wastewater collection pipes, three wastewater treatment facilities and billing.

For stormwater management

• Usage Rate: There is no usage charge for Stormwater.
• Fixed Charge: Pays for the operation and maintenance of the stormwater system which ensures reliable street drainage during rain events. It also funds upgrades for flood protection as well as protecting the river by reducing the amount of sediment entering the river

The wastewater calculation on your bill is based on the amount of water you use. On average, not all of the water you use in your home or business is returned to the system for treatment. The wastewater calculation takes this into consideration, charging you only 88 per cent (residential), 95 per cent (multi-family) and 90 per cent (business) of your water usage all year long. This percentage recognizes seasonal fluctuations in water use, like outdoor watering, when less of the water you use is being sent to the wastewater treatment plant.

Water utility rates for residences on a flat rate are calculated according to the square feet of actual lot area and gross building area based on the original development permit submitted to The City of Calgary Planning Department.

The water utility does not profit from rate and service charge adjustments. Water utility rates and charges are set at the lowest amount possible to deliver current services, and expand, upgrade, repair and maintain the infrastructure so we can continue to deliver the and stormwater services you value.

The water, wastewater and stormwater services are entirely funded by rates paid by customers. The water utility does not receive any funding from property taxes.

Based on usage patterns, we divide customers into groups such as residential, business and multi-family. Your rates and service charges reflect the actual cost to provide your customer group with water, wastewater and stormwater services.

Rates and fixed charges are set at the lowest level possible to cover the actual cost of providing your water, wastewater and stormwater services and the required maintenance and upgrades to the system.

Every four years, The City undertakes a cost-of-service study to ensure planned rates are fair and equitable, and can provide the funding to deliver clean, safe water and reliable service for years to come.

Each year those proposed rates are reviewed, and adjustments made, to ensure they continue to cover costs and meet the needs of Calgary. Wherever possible savings are also applied, and proposed rates reduced.

Every four years, The City undertakes a cost-of-service study, with a third-party consultant, to ensure new rates are fair and equitable, and can provide the funding to deliver clean, safe water and reliable service for years to come.

Each year those proposed rates are reviewed, and adjustments made, to ensure they continue to cover costs and meet the needs of Calgary. Wherever possible savings are also applied, and proposed rates reduced.

It is hard to compare cities, since each takes a different financial approach to taxes and utility costs, as well as how water, wastewater and stormwater are treated. For example, in Calgary, water, wastewater and stormwater treatment is fully funded by water rates. In some cities those same costs are paid for or subsidized by taxes.

The graphic below shows the average yearly cost of taxes and utilities, including electricity, water, wastewater, stormwater and waste & recycling services, for cities across Canada.

*Utility numbers were collected or calculated under these assumptions.

• “Typical” month consisting of 30.4 days
  
• 600 KW/H usage of electricity
• 19 cubic meters of water and 17.5 cubic meters of wastewater treatment

Other charges on a per-residential dwelling – recycling fee, garbage disposal, and other  

Rates and the price of water are going up across North America. A recent study of large North American cities found that water rates were increasing approximately six percent per year.

Even with the increase to Calgary’s water rates we will continue to pay less than a penny a litre for water and wastewater service.

No. Utility services are completely self-funded through water rates and service charges. There is no support from property taxes.

No. Extended vacancy does not qualify as an acceptable reason to pause billing for water, wastewater, and stormwater service charges.

Service charges are a flat rate paid by all water utility customers regardless of the amount of water consumed, which cover the cost of infrastructure maintenance, meter reading and maintenance, billing, fire, and flood protection. They are in no way connected to water consumption or usage rates, which pay for the treatment of water and wastewater.

Some customers request their service charges be paused while on extended vacancy from their property. When applied, this practice was a form of preferential treatment to a small subset of customers and does not align with the Water Utility’s responsibility to fairness and equity to all rate payers.