Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the City of Winnipeg making changes to water and sewer services?
The City needs better ways to manage and upgrade sewer services in Winnipeg. The new public utility and arms-length management model will result in many benefits for taxpayers, ratepayers and employees.
What are the key benefits to the community?
- Greater Protection for Taxpayers – by striving for on-time and on-budget completion of large-scale projects
- Cleaner Rivers & Lakes – with strengthened management of upgrades to sewage treatment plants
- More Opportunities – for employees and taxpayers with a focus on growth in service delivery, including staff training, for nearby communities
What are the key benefits to the community?
- More Public Accountability – with rates set by the Public Utilities Board
- Greater Protection for Taxpayers – by striving for on time-on budget completion of large-scale projects
- Cleaner Rivers & Lakes – with strengthened management of upgrades to sewage treatment plants
- More Opportunities – for employees and taxpayers with a focus on growth in service delivery, including staff training, for nearby communities
Who owns and controls the new public utility?
The City of Winnipeg will own the public utility and retain control over drinking water and sewer services.
What happened to the idea of having rates set by the Public Utilities Board?
When City Council approved the new management model in July 2009, it decided to defer the decision about the rate-setting process.
Does the new management model affect current City employees?
Employees will benefit positively from career advancement and new opportunities under this model, which focuses on growth opportunities and innovation as the utility seeks new customers and services such as green energy or training programs for other communities.
Is there any truth to claims that this is a step toward privatizing our drinking water?
No. The claims are totally false. In fact, the utility and our drinking water facilities will continue to be 100% owned and controlled by the City of Winnipeg.
Why is it important to involve a strategic partner in the upgrading of sewage treatment plants?
Partnering with and drawing upon expanded resources and specialized expertise from outside government is vital since it will ensure that all regulatory, construction and design requirements are met when we upgrade the north and south end sewage treatment plants.In addition, past experience and cost over-runs on projects of a similar size have clearly demonstrated that additional specialized resources and greater capacity is necessary for the City to fully protect taxpayers by striving to come in on-time and on-budget with an upgrade of this magnitude.
Part of our goal in ensuring everyone involved in the project has a stake in its success is to make sure Winnipeg continues to have the highest quality sewer services so as to protect human health and the environment.
How will upgrades to our sewage treatment plants help the environment?
Required upgrades to our sewage treatment plants will help clean up our rivers and Lake Winnipeg by significantly reducing the load of harmful phosphorous and nitrogen in city sewage. This will allow Winnipeggers to play a role in helping to reduce the growth of algae that chokes Lake Winnipeg and its beaches in the summer.
How much will this cost and how will the upgrades be paid for?
The total estimated cost of the upgrades to our sewage treatment system is $1 billion. This includes $650 million for upgrades to the north and south end sewage treatment plants. The cost will be paid for by a cash reserve, borrowing funded by sewer rates and some funding from the provincial and federal governments – a topic that is currently under discussion.