If it wasn’t for rain and melting snow, the City of Prince George wouldn’t need stormwater drainage infrastructure. So yes, it could be considered a rain tax… but the fee is an important way to make sure City infrastructure is kept in good condition.
It’s important to note that this isn’t an entirely new “tax” – property owners have already been paying for stormwater infrastructure through property taxes. An average home in Prince George valued at $467,684, paid $103.15 for stormwater infrastructure through property taxes in 2025. Starting in 2027, the fee will be included on your utility bill now, rather than property taxes, using a phased approach to reach the full funding level needed to maintain the stormwater system:
- 2027: $103.15
- 2028: $143.01
- 2029: $189.86
The new fee is not tied to your property assessment value and is instead based on the average hard surface all residential properties have. Hard surfaces include driveways and buildings. The average measurement of hard surface area per residential property in the city is 304 m2. All residential properties up to and including fourplexes will pay the same fee of $103.15 for 2027.
But my neighbourhood doesn’t have storm drains or gutters…
If your property has ditches and culverts, that is still a part of the stormwater infrastructure network. Water is directed through ditches and culverts in your neighbourhood to stormwater mains, and eventually to discharge points in creeks, rivers, and wetlands.
Why does the stormwater infrastructure fund matter?
The City’s stormwater infrastructure is worth $800 million and just like a car or a house, it needs money to repair and eventually replace those assets. Dedicated funding through the new stormwater utility helps us save for ongoing maintenance and replacement, when necessary. Think of this as a savings account – this will allow the City to pay for repairs from its savings instead of relying on debt funding or competing with other projects at budget time.
Urban areas are full of hard surfaces like roads, driveways and buildings, which don’t absorb rainwater or melting snow. Instead, this water runs into storm sewers which empty directly into rivers, creeks, and wetlands. Managing stormwater is key to preserving the health of urban streams and rivers and keeping homes, businesses, roads and other important city infrastructure safe. We’ve seen evidence of our aging stormwater system in hazards like the sinkhole at Winnipeg and Carney Street in 2018. Aging stormwater infrastructure will continue to trouble us until we’re able to secure sustainable levels of funding to keep up with growing maintenance and replacement costs.
Learn more:
- Stormwater utility bylaw, stormwater reserve bylaw, and amendments to the comprehensive fees and charges bylaw report: December 1, 2025, Council report.
- Stormwater infrastructure dedicated fund: October 6, 2025, Council report.
- Stormwater infrastructure fund engagement project: GetInvolved webpage.