Home/Township Services/Finance/Water Billing

Water Billing

New to Woolwich Township?
Water and Sewage Rates
How can I pay my water bill?
How do I check for leaks?
Be Water Wise - Conserve!
When can I water my lawn and wash my car?
Moving? Request a final water reading
FAQs

New to Woolwich Township?

Please contact the Water and Sewer billing Department at (519) 669-1647 or 664-2613 extension 6018 to set up your account, and ensure that a final reading is scheduled for the closing date if required. Water and sewer bills are sent every two months directly from the Township of Woolwich, they are not included in your hydro bill. See our Water and Sewage Rates.

If a final reading has been requested, your first bill will cover the period from your date of occupancy to the next regular reading date in your area. In addition to the regular charges for usage and reserve charges, there will be an administrative fee for setting up the account, and a refundable deposit. At the end of one year of regular payments, the deposit is credited back to your account.

Woolwich has eight serviced areas:

Breslau - Elroy Acres (water only), Hopewell Heights (water and sewer service) and Riverland (water and sewer service) subdivisions
Conestogo - Golf Course (some water only, some fully serviced) and Conestogo Plains (water only) subdivisions
Elmira - All serviced. Primarily both water and sewer
Heidelberg - Alt Heidelberg Estates (some water only, some fully serviced) and the former Strauss private system (water only)
Maryhill - Village Heights and the Notre Dame/ Isley/ Halter area
St. Jacobs - All serviced. Primarily both water and sewer
St. Jacobs Farmers' Market and Factory Outlet commercial area both water and sewer
West Montrose - the Haley subdivisions (water only)

How can I pay my water bill?

Pre-authorized Payment Plan - The PAP is an easy way to pay your water bill. The payments are withdrawn from your account automatically on the due date. You receive your bill as usual so that you know the date and amount of the withdrawal. No more cheques to write, payments lost in the mail, or late charges! Download our Application for Pre-Authorized Payment , attach a cheque marked "VOID" and mail or fax it to us.
Electronic Payments - Most major financial institutions offer the "Township of Woolwich" or "Woolwich Township" as one of their electronic payments. Make sure you pick "Water" and not taxes, or your payment could be applied to someone else's tax account!
At your bank or trust company - Pay at the teller, or through an ATM. You are responsible to pay any service charges levied by them.
By Mail - Mail your cheque, payable to the TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH. Post-dated cheques are accepted.
In person at the Municipal Office - We receive payment by cheque, cash or Interac. After hours, you may drop off your cheque in the former bank night deposit slot at the Church/Maple Street Corner. (Just slide the cover up to access the mail slot). Sorry, no credit card payments.

Payment must be received at the Municipal Office by the due date to avoid penalty.

How do I check for leaks?

Leaks cost you money. Checking for leaks can make a difference to your water bill.

8 Hour Test
To test your entire plumbing system for a continual leak, read your meter at some time during the day or evening when water will not be used for at least the next eight hours. Record the reading. At the end of the eight-hour period, compare that reading to the original reading. If the readings are identical, your system has no leaks. If the readings are different, and no water has been used, this confirms that you have a system leak and you should identify the source of the leak.

Not sure where your meter is? Look for a large brass unit on the water line in your basement, near the floor. It is usually at the front of the house where the water service comes in from the mains in the street. It may be a digital readout, or a series of dials - one for each number of the reading.

Inspect any fixtures that are connected to your water supply such as:

Toilets - the most common problem - may have a continuous or intermittent leak
Household taps - a slow drip wastes 75 litres a day; a 1/8" stream wastes1,816 litres in a day
Water heaters and softeners
Hot water heating systems - check the pressure release / overflow, too
Furnace humidifiers
Water-cooled air conditioners
Sprinkler systems - lawn or fire

How can I check my toilet for leaks?

Quick Check
Look at the water level in the toilet tank. It should be about ½" below the top of the intake tube to the toilet. If it is higher than that, adjust the level of the float.

Slow leak
Mark the level of the water in the tank. Turn off the water supply valve located behind the toilet bowl. Wait at least an hour, making sure no one uses the toilet in this time. If the water level has dropped, you have a leak.

Dye Testing
Your will need food colouring or dye test tablets (available at many hardware and plumbing supply stores). Place a dye tablet or several drops of food colouring in the toilet tank. Do not flush. Wait about 15-20 minutes. If the colour seeps into the toilet bowl, this indicates a leak.

Intermittent leak
An intermittent leak can be very difficult to detect. If the handle has to be "jiggled" to stop the toilet from running, or a flapper that doesn't always seat properly is an intermittent leak. If not repaired, either of these can add up to a lot of water used.

Need to replace that old leaky toilet? Invest in an ultra low flush (ULF) toilet that uses only 4.8 litres per flush. It can reduce your water consumption by 20% to 39%. Check out the Region of Waterloo website or call them at 519-575-4021 for more information about their toilet replacement program. You may qualify for a rebate!

Be Water Wise - Conserve!

Here are some ideas to conserve water in and around your home

Toilets

Don't use the toilet as a garbage can! This wastes a lot of water, and can overload the sewage treatment plant or septic tank, so toss those tissues and swabs in a waste basket.
For toilets larger than 6 litres (1.3 gallons), fill a plastic bottle with water and sink it in the tank. This reduces the volume of water in the tank, but still provides enough for flushing.

Bath / Shower

Take a shorter shower. Shortening a 10 minute shower to 5 minutes can save up to 40 litres.
Turn off the water while you lather up, and turn it on again to rinse.
Shower instead of bathing - showers with low-flow showerheads often use less water than taking a bath. To compare, put the plug in while you shower, to see how much the tub fills up.
If a shower is not available, try reducing the amount of water you use in the bathtub by 5 cm (2 inches).
Plug the drain before you run your bath water.
Not sure if your showerhead is water-efficient? Contact the Region of Waterloo at 575-4021 to request your shower bag test kit.
Install water-efficient showerheads, and flow restrictors. A showerhead should have a flow rate below 11 litres (2.5 gallons) per minute to be water-efficient.

Bathroom Sink

Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth, and fill a cup for rinsing.
Plug the basin drain for face washing and shaving.

In the Kitchen

Install faucet aerators to mix air with the water, reducing water flow and minimizing splashing.
Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running water from the tap until it becomes cold wastes water.
When washing fruits or vegetables, plug the sink drain or use a small pan of water, rather than running water.
When washing dishes by hand, don't wash or rinse with running water. Use tubs or plug the sink.
Instead of filling one sink for washing, and another for rinsing, place washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them all at once with a spray of water.
Sink garbage disposals use hundreds of litres of water each week, and increase the load for water treatment plants. Save on your water bill and compost. Your lawn will love it, too.
Scrape dishes into the garbage instead of rinsing them with running water before putting in the dishwasher.
Never run the dishwasher if its not full. This will save water, energy, detergent, and money.

Out of Doors

Collect rain water in a rain barrel. Call (519) 575-4021 or click here to email the Region of Waterloo for more details about their Rain Barrel Program
Use a pail to wash and rinse your car so you only need a light rinse to get rid of the soap.
To eliminate water-spots on your clean car, consider using rain water harvested with a rain barrel for that final rinse.
Sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of using a hose.
Cover swimming pools when not in use to reduce evaporation.
Use a bucket and squeegee to wash windows.
Turn off your fountain when you're not there to enjoy it.
When cleaning outdoor ponds, use the waste water for lawns and gardens

When can I water my lawn and wash my car?

The Township of Woolwich's ODD/EVEN days rule applies until the end of May on lawn watering only. If your house number ends in an odd number, you can water your lawn on odd numbered days. If your house number ends in an even number, you can do so on even numbered days. The Township has no restrictions on car washing.

The Region of Waterloo's Stage 2 outdoor water use restrictions come into effect annually on May 31st and continues until September 30th. See the Region of Waterloo for details about your lawn watering and car washing days.

Keep watching and listening for updates in the event Stage 3 outdoor water use restrictions are put into effect, or call (519) 575-4495 for further information.

FAQs

My water consumption was way up this bill. Is there something wrong with my meter?

Water meters will stop recording, but it is highly unlikely that it will speed up. The only thing that will cause the reading to change is water going through the meter. You can check the reading on your meter in the basement to be sure it wasn't recorded incorrectly, and if it is indeed higher than the ending reading shown on your bill, that is the amount of water used during the billing period. If there is no change in your circumstances (additional person, new dishwasher etc.) that would cause you to use more water, you likely have a leak in your system. See "How do I check for leaks?"

Why are my water and sewer rates significantly higher than surrounding communities?

The township of Woolwich is compliant with Bill 175, passed by the Ontario Government in December 2002, making it mandatory for municipalities to cost-recover the full amount of their water and sewer services. Many other municipalities are currently in a "catch-up" situation to increase their rates to full cost-recovery. A rate study performed by CN Watson and Associates in cooperation with CH2M Hill in 2005, identified appropriate usage and reserve charges for 2006, as well as a 10-year forecast of rates allowing for inflation. Unless there are additional sweeping changes to Provincial requirements such as occurred in the wake of the Walkerton tragedy, these rates should form the basis for future years.

I live in a new area, why do I have to pay toward pipe replacement?

Each customer on the system pays bi-monthly reserve charges based on the meter size, which generally relates to the amount of water they use. These charges are calculated so that, over the approximately 50-year life of the pipes, the users have contributed enough funds to replace the pipes. Each year this "kitty" is used to pay for the water (and sewer if applicable) portions of road reconstruction costs.

I live in an old area, is my water safe to drink?

Absolutely. The Township purchases water from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, who look after all of the wells. They adhere to strict government regulations and test the water regularly to ensure they are meeting or exceeding the Ontario Drinking Water Standards. The Township then takes over the delivery of the water from the Region to you, our customer. We, too, adhere to strict government regulations governing the construction and maintenance of our systems, and test the water on a daily basis.

I live on a farm and have my own well. How do I know if my water is safe to drink?

The Township has sample bottles available at our office for our rural residents. Bottles are also available at the Elmira Library and the Woolwich Community Health Centre in St. Jacobs. Tests for total coli form and E. coli indicator bacteria are free of charge. There is a $14.00 fee, payable to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, for testing for Nitrate/Nitrites or Fluoride that must accompany the sample. Fresh samples are accepted at the Township office, 24 Church Street West in Elmira, only on the last Tuesday of any month between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. If you require more immediate results, samples can be taken to the Woolwich Health Centre on Parkside Drive in St. Jacobs on any Tuesday, or at the Community Health Department at 99 Regina Street South in Waterloo Monday to Thursday between 8:30 and 4:30, or Friday before 9:30.

Contact(s)

Water Billing