Properties not connected to the City wastewater system

Properties that are not connected to our wastewater system must follow the Province of Manitoba requirements for their septic system.

Sewer & water main installations in existing neighbourhoods

As Winnipeg grows, the City’s wastewater collection and water systems are expanding to areas that we did not previously service. In these areas, existing properties typically have well water as their source of water and have either septic fields or holding tanks for wastewater.

Provincial regulations require property owners to connect to a wastewater collection system when it is installed along their property for the first time. Property owners must:

Connect within ten years of it being installed or before they sell or subdivide their property
Remove or abandon their on-site wastewater management (septic) system

You cannot opt out of connecting to the City’s wastewater collection system (See Section 8.1 (1) of the Province of Manitoba Regulation 83/2003).

We will notify property owners before water and wastewater systems are installed in an area that does not currently have our services. We will also provide more details about your responsibilities as the property owner. This will include an explanation of the process to connect your property to the new wastewater collection and water systems.

Right now, connecting to the City water system is optional. If you choose not to connect to the water system at the same time as connecting to the wastewater system, it could lead to a higher cost to connect to the water system later.

Property owners will be responsible for their share of the cost of the wastewater sewer benefiting their property. In a new development, the cost is included in the price of the home. For properties that can connect to a City wastewater sewer for the first time, the share of the cost is payable when the property connects to the wastewater sewer.

Costs

Connecting to the wastewater system

While there are some fixed costs, the larger costs to connect to the newly installed wastewater sewer main will depend on:

The size of your property
How far the property is from the wastewater sewer main
The contractor you have chosen for the project.

After connecting your property to a new wastewater sewer main for the first time, you will have to pay the following costs:

Application for a New Sewer Service Pipe

$45.00 until January 1, 2027 (single family residential)
$241.00 until January 1, 2027 (other than single family residential)
Your application to connect to the new sewer main needs to include a drawing of your proposed sewer service pipe. You will need to hire a qualified engineer to prepare this drawing. You can find an engineer using the Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba website.

Administration fee for service application (Street permits) - $70.00 (plus GST) until January 1, 2027
Connection charge

This is usually based on the length of the boundary of the property that runs along any portion of the new sewer main
The estimated cost per assessable foot for wastewater sewer main is $181.00 until January 1, 2027
You have the option of amortizing the sewer connection charge instead of paying a lump sum payment at the time of connecting to the sewer
- The estimated amortized sewer connection charge per assessable foot each year is $16.10 (rate applies until January 1, 2027)
- If you select this option, the term is twenty years

Installation charges

This includes the costs of installing and connecting the private sewer service pipe from your home or property to the City’s wastewater system, as well as adapting internal plumbing to use the new sewer service pipe
A licensed contractor will need to complete this work. You will need to select and hire that contractor
- Please note that the City does not guarantee and does not accept any liability or responsibility for the work performed, or other actions taken by licensed contractors.
Before you hire any contractor, it is good practice to:
- Get at least three estimates from licensed contractors
- Ask for and check contractor references
- Call the Better Business Bureau for a reliability report on contractors

Property tax

There may be a couple of changes to the annual property tax bill once the water and wastewater system expands to an area.
Frontage levies

A new frontage levy applies once a wastewater sewer main is first installed along a property boundary. You will see this on your annual tax bill
Frontage levies are calculated using the frontage measurement for your property and multiplying it by the applicable rate
Frontage levies apply even if the property is:

Not connected to City services
Vacant

Amortization of a connection charge

This only applies if a property owner elects not to pay the wastewater sewer connection charge at the time of connection
The Special Connection Charge includes the cost, interest and administrative fees to connect to the City’s wastewater system
The Special Connection Charge will appear on your annual property tax bill during the amortization period. It will be in the local improvement section of the property tax bill
The amortization period for sewer mains is 20 years
Property owners can pay the remaining balance at any before the term ends

Water system-related costs

Even if you do not connect to the water system, you are responsible for:

Property tax charges

Frontage levies

A new frontage levy applies once a water main is first installed along a property boundary. You will see this on your annual property tax bill
Frontage levies are calculated using the frontage measurement for your property and multiplying it by the applicable rate
Frontage levies apply even if the property is:

Not connected to City services
Vacant

If you decide to connect to a new City water main, you will also have to pay the following costs:

Application for a New Water Service pipe
- $45.00 until January 1, 2027 (single family residential)
- $241.00 until January 1, 2027 (other than single family residential)
Administration fee for service application (Street permits) - $70.00 (plus GST) until January 1, 2027
Connection charge

This is usually based on the length of the boundary of the property that is along any portion of the new water main
The current cost per assessable foot for water main is $165.00 until January 1, 2027
You have the option of amortizing the water connection charge instead of paying a lump sum payment at the time of connecting to the water main
- The estimated amortized sewer connection charge per assessable foot each year is $22.42 (rate applies until January 1, 2027)
If you select this option, the term is 10 years

Installation charges

This includes the costs of installing and connecting the private water service pipe from your home or property to the City’s water system, as well as adapting to internal plumbing to use the new water service pipe
A licensed contractor will need to complete this work. You will need to select and hire that contractor.
- Please note that the City does not guarantee and does not accept any liability or responsibility for the work performed, or other actions taken by licensed contractors.
Before you hire any contractor, it is good practice to:

Get at least three estimates from licensed contractors
Ask for and check contractor references
Call the Better Business Bureau for a reliability report on contractors

Property tax bill change

Amortization of a connection charge

This only applies if a property owner elects not to pay the water main connection charge at the time of connection
The Special Connection Charge includes the cost, interest and administrative fees to connect to the City’s system
The Special Connection Charge will appear on your annual property tax bill during the amortization period. It will be in the local improvement section of the property tax bill
The amortization period for water mains is 10 years
Property owners can pay the remaining balance at any time before the term ends

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