Toronto Water doesn't just make sure our tap water keeps flowing. The water department provides important services like sewage treatment to clean up polluted water before it gets released into Lake Ontario.
Someone has to clean it up, otherwise our drinking water would be at risk.
In a big city like Toronto, there are about 14,000 businesses who rely on Toronto Water's water supply and sewer services each year. That's a big job, which is why Toronto Water uses the Sewers By-law to set strict limits on how much pollution can be dumped down the sewer. Believe it or not, pollution from industry goes into the same sewer system as your sink and toilet water!
When a company breaks the law by putting too much pollution down the drain, Toronto Water gives them a choice: clean it up yourself or pay us to clean it for you.
Since it’s easier and cheaper, most of these polluters let Toronto Water do the clean up for them. But these law-breaking companies are getting a discount on their clean up bill and the rest of us are paying for it! That means good businesses that don’t pollute our water are paying to clean up another company’s mess. That’s not fair. Businesses want a level playing field.
Right now, local businesses and residents are secretly paying an extra fee on their water utility bill to cover $1.6 Million in clean up costs for Toronto’s biggest water polluters. On March 10th, Toronto City Council will decide whether or not polluters should pay the $1.6 million they owe us this year.
Sign the petition and tell your City Councillor to cash the cheque from polluters.
Update March 11, 2015. The petition is now closed. Thank you for over 1,200 signatures!