A Mississauga stormwater credit can reduce an eligible property's stormwater charge by as much as half, but the reduction comes with continuing responsibilities. Businesses and multi-residential property owners must document qualifying measures and keep them functioning after approval.

The charge appears on the Region of Peel water bill. For commercial, industrial and multi-residential properties, the City calculates it from the property's hard-surface area, divided into billing units of 267 square metres and multiplied by the annual rate. A credit reduces that stormwater charge, rather than the entire water bill.

What a Mississauga stormwater credit can cover

The City's current credit service lists four categories: peak-flow reduction, water-quality treatment, runoff-volume reduction, and operations and activities.

Their individual ceilings are 40, 30, 30 and 20 per cent respectively. The combined credit for one property cannot exceed 50 per cent; the category limits do not add up to a larger discount.

Qualifying work can include runoff-control infrastructure and operating practices such as sweeping paved areas or managing salt. The City requires evidence of the measures and their performance. Applications can be submitted online or by mail, with processing described as taking a minimum of four to six weeks.

Approval brings record-keeping and renewal duties

The City's April 2023 application guide, still linked from its service page, says eligibility excludes single-residential properties and properties already receiving a stormwater exemption or subsidy. Eligible properties must also be in good standing with City by-laws.

Engineering documentation generally requires a qualified Ontario professional engineer. The guide makes an exception for applications solely under operations and activities. There is no application fee, but applicants cover preparation costs.

Credit holders must follow approved maintenance requirements, keep inspection logs and photographs, and make records available when requested. The guide sets an annual minimum inspection requirement and allows audits; non-compliance can lead to suspension or cancellation.

Credits last up to five years. The guide directs holders seeking uninterrupted renewal to apply at least three months before expiry. Bills must still be paid in full while an application is under review.

Planning help has its own eligibility

Credit Valley Conservation's Greening Corporate Grounds programme offers a free landscaping assessment and action plan to businesses, institutions and places of worship in the Credit River Watershed. Additional design services can carry fees.

That planning support and a Mississauga stormwater credit are separate steps. Property owners can ask the City about eligibility and application requirements at stormwater@mississauga.ca before commissioning work.

AI-generated conceptual illustration of stormwater landscaping; not a photograph of an actual Mississauga property or an approved credit project.