Rural residents oppose proposed stormwater management fee hike

Many residents of Richmond attend a city information session to voice their opposition to a potential stormwater management fee hike. Ottawa, Ont. May 9, 2024 (photo courtesy of Coun. David Brown).

A proposal by the city to increase stormwater management fees in rural areas has sparked a flood of opposition from residents, who argue that unlike urban areas with extensive sewer systems, they rely on natural methods to manage runoff.

While urban communities benefit from thousands of kilometers of sewers to drain water away from homes and roads, rural areas like Richmond rely on land absorption and roadside ditches.

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The proposed stormwater management fee, by the City of Ottawa, which would be added to property taxes, has raised concerns among residents like Bob Moore.

"What the city is planning to do is based upon the impervious square footage with our properties that we would pay an annual tax based on that square foot," says Moore. "I see it as being a shift in taxation from the urban and suburban areas to the rural area and yet we are not getting the benefits."

The new fee structure would be based on areas which cannot drain water, like driveways, barns, sheds, and houses; however, the issue becomes complex when considering properties with gravel driveways, where water can soak in.

"My driveway is 150 feet long and all of that water this morning is soaked into the ground," says Moore. "And in the city's preliminary study to council, they were going to disregard gravel driveways. Why can't we just stick with the current assessment? Why complicate life?"

Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown agrees, calling the proposed fee hike a 'ditch tax' and pledging to stand with constituents in opposition at a meeting on Thursday.

"I certainly share that outrage and that concern. In rural Ottawa, we have about 5,000 km of rural ditch, roadside ditch, and that's the predominant stormwater feature that we have. We have a very little in the way of underground heavy stormwater piping; about 151 kilometres," says Brown. "We don't have a high intensity need for stormwater management beyond the roadside ditch. The city wants to hear resident feedback, but it's important and I want to see comments received in the rural area actually impact that staff report that we are going to see mid next year."

Some landowners like John Compton, who owns 33 acres of land, believe they should be credited by the city.

"I should receive serious credit because I'm actually helping absorb a lot of stormwater on my previous landscape. I have forests and everything," says Compton. "So, to me, I really don't think it's equitable."

Brown, says it's important for residents to voice their concern to city, and provides details how online.