Toronto councillor proposes stormwater charge to fight climate change

TORONTO -- A Toronto councillor is asking the city to support a new stormwater charge for company parking lots to help fight climate change and promote rainwater conservation.

Coun. Mike Layton said his motion, which was pushed forward Monday, would require parking lots and other large properties in Toronto to pay their “fair share” for stormwater management costs.

The councillor said large paved parking lots send large amounts of rainwater down the storm sewer, but they do not always pay for stormwater management costs.

If stormwater pricing is introduced, these types of properties will be charged a fee based on how much rainwater runs off their property into the city’s stormwater infrastructure.

“Currently, the City of Toronto doesn’t charge for the stormwater that is created and added to the municipal system for treatment,” Layton said at a news conference Monday.

"A new stormwater charge for companies would be a significant first action to realize the goals laid out in our city’s recent climate emergency declaration and resilience strategy.”

I have tables two motions today at Water Budget debate. 1- start process of charging parking lots and large industrial/commercial properties for Stormwater runoff. 1% properties are 42% of impervious surfaces. This will give them an incentive for action.

— Mike Layton (@m_layton) November 25, 2019

He said the aim of the fee is to make an incentive for companies to adopt climate friendly solutions like green infrastructure in order to reduce flooding.

Under the program, a property that significantly reduces the amount of stormwater they release into the storm sewer can be reassessed and have their fees reduced.

Green infrastructure solutions include natural systems like greenspace or green roofs that absorb rainwater and more technical solutions like permeable paving or cisterns that collect and reuse rainwater, the councillor said in a news release.

Heather Marshall, a member of the Toronto Environmental Alliance, said that the motion is a step in the right direction.

“As Toronto faces more intense rainstorms and floods … stormwater pricing is the type of responsive tool our city needs to adapt to climate change,” Marshall said. “We need to climate proof all of our existing infrastructure from the extreme weather Toronto is facing.”

The city said the fee for parking lots will raise the revenue urgently needed to repair and replace stormwater infrastructure.

The motion will be considered by city council on Dec. 17.