366 Properties Still Without New Water Meters as City Moves to Recover Costs
Council approves new fees for households refusing water meter upgrades; 366 properties remain unconverted as of late 2025.
Owen Sound City Council has approved new measures to recover costs and encourage compliance with the city’s ongoing water meter replacement program.
As of late 2025, approximately 366 properties had not yet installed the new automated meters, prompting Council to adopt fee amendments and policy changes to support completion of the project.
The new charges, first recommended by the Operations Committee on December 18, 2025, and formally approved by Council on January 12, include an administrative fee of $150 per billing cycle—equivalent to $50 per month—for properties that have refused to allow meter installation.
The fee is expected to take effect for confirmed refusal accounts starting with billing cycles dated after March 1, 2026.
Deputy Mayor Scott Greig, Chair of the Operations Committee, described the approach as a fair response to ongoing non-compliance.
“The administration fee for refusal accounts is intended to recover real costs associated with non-compliance and exception handling, not to penalize compliant or constrained property owners,” Greig said during the January 12 Council meeting.
“There was certainly unanimous consent that the general ratepayer shouldn’t be subsidizing the cost of this service on an ongoing basis,” he added.
Key Measures Approved:
Administration fee of $150 per billing cycle ($50/month) for confirmed meter refusals.
Billing for outstanding accounts based on prior year’s average monthly consumption or historic actual water usage.
Effective July 1, 2026, property owners who previously refused installation and later choose to convert must cover the full cost of installation.
Registered letters will be issued to all currently identified refusal accounts to confirm status.
The city will prohibit the creation of new water accounts unless a new meter is installed or an existing meter is inspected and approved by staff.
A follow-up report is expected in late 2026 on updated compliance figures.
The policy changes stem from concerns over cost fairness and operational efficiency. The city no longer contracts Neptune to perform manual meter readings, making manual reads unavailable for ongoing billing. A consistent billing method is being implemented for all accounts that remain unconverted.
At the December 18 Operations Committee meeting, Director of Public Works and Engineering Lara Widdifield explained that the 366 unconverted accounts fall into three broad categories:
Confirmed or potential refusals – approximately 155 properties.
Accounts with scheduled appointments – about 33 properties.
Accounts with access or infrastructure issues beyond the owner’s immediate control.
Alternate enforcement tools like water shutoffs or flow restrictions were considered but rejected due to legal and operational constraints. Staff confirmed that unpaid water arrears, including the new administration fees, may be transferred to the property tax roll.
Some property owners have cited concerns such as health impacts or liability fears about allowing contractors inside their homes. Widdifield noted that those instances have been managed on a case-by-case basis, particularly where tenants are the bill payers.
“This supports fair cost recovery, operational efficiency, and completion of the meter replacement program,” said Greig. “It’s about making sure the system is sustainable and fair for everyone who uses it.”
The Water Meter Replacement Program aims to transition all properties in Owen Sound to automated meter reading (AMR) technology, which improves billing accuracy, reduces operational costs, and eliminates estimated or manual readings.
Next Steps:
Registered letters confirming refusal status will be issued in early 2026.
Fees begin applying in March 2026 for confirmed refusals.
Mandatory installation cost for late conversions begins July 2026.
Staff will provide a status update in late 2026 on the remaining non-compliant accounts.
For more information or to schedule a meter installation, property owners were encouraged to contact Owen Sound’s Public Works department directly.
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