Show the math · Published September 24, 2026
The water and sewer bill, shown in full.
$1,443
That's the Municipality's own figure for what the average household on municipal water and sewer pays in 2026, published on page 6 of the 2026 budget. I'd bet most of us couldn't say that number within a hundred dollars. I couldn't, until I sat down with the budget.
So here it is, line by line, straight from the 2026 Rates and Fees By-law. You can check every line.
| Charge | Per year |
|---|---|
| Fixed water charge$45.32 a month, standard 19 mm residential service | $543.84 |
| Flat sewer chargeOne flat amount per residential unit, regardless of use | $636.96 |
| The water you actually use$1.31 per cubic metre; the municipality-wide average works out to about 200 cubic metres a year | $262.00 |
| Total | $1,442.80 |
$543.84 + $636.96 + $262.00 = $1,442.80, which the budget rounds to $1,443. Rates: By-law 2025-124, Schedule M (water) and Schedule L (sewer).
82 cents of every dollar is spoken for before you run a tap.
The two fixed charges come to $1,180.80 a year on their own. Conserving water is still worth doing, but it can only ever touch the last 18 cents of each dollar. That's not an argument against conservation. It's the reason rate decisions at the council table matter more to this bill than your shower habits do.
What changed this year
+$90
The increase in the average household's water and sewer bill for 2026, a blended 6.65 per cent.
2026 Budget, Quick Facts, p.6
+$74
The average household's property tax increase for 2026, from the 2.88 per cent rate increase.
2026 Budget, Quick Facts, p.6
+10.25%
This year's increase in the flat sewer charge, printed in the by-law's own schedule: $577.79 became $636.96.
Rates and Fees By-law 2025-124, Schedule L
+4%
This year's increase across every water rate line, fixed charges and usage alike.
Rates and Fees By-law 2025-124, Schedule M
The property tax increase got the attention. The bigger increase, in dollars, is the one that never got a headline.
If your bill doesn't look like $1,443
That's the word average doing its work. The fixed charges are the same for most homes, so the difference between your bill and this one is almost entirely usage, and larger service connections pay higher fixed charges. Pull out your own bill and set it beside the table above; the lines should match.
If you're on a well and septic
This bill isn't yours, and I haven't forgotten you. Roads are your version of this story, and I owe you that math next. It's coming.
What I'm doing with this
I'm not promising to lower these rates. The lagoon work this municipality has ahead of it lands on this bill, not the tax bill, and I haven't seen the math behind the next rate-setting yet. Anyone promising lower rates before seeing it is guessing. What I'm promising is that you'll see the numbers the way you just did, before the decisions, not after.
Found an error in my math? hello@voteshah.ca. If you're right, it gets fixed here, and you get the credit.
Sources: Municipality of Kincardine 2026 Budget, Budget Quick Facts, page 6 · 2026 Rates and Fees By-law 2025-124 (passed September 24, 2025), Schedule L, Sanitary Sewer Operating Charges, and Schedule M, Water Operating Charges.
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