Understanding Your New Water Bill

The Town has recently mailed out water bills, and we understand there has been some confusion as we transition to a new billing system. We’d like to help clarify what’s changed and what you can expect moving forward.

What’s changed?

Water and wastewater billing has now been fully consolidated into one bill. Previously, some wastewater charges appeared on your property tax bill. These have now been moved to your water bill.

As a result:
•    Your water bill may appear higher than in previous years.
•    Your property tax bill will be lower moving forward, as those wastewater charges are no longer included there.

Why are costs different?

There are a few reasons you may notice a change in your bill:

•    The 2025 Town budget included an 8% increase to water and wastewater rates. The majority of the increase relates to regional treatment cost increases.
•    Wastewater fixed charges have been moved from the tax bill to the water bill. To help illustrate this change, a sample property tax bill is available in the Documents tab on the right side of this page.
•    The billing model has shifted from a 50/50 fixed vs. variable split to a 40/60 model.

This new model:
•    Lowers fixed charges (set costs that don’t change)
•    Increases variable charges (based on how much water you use)

This means you now have more control over your bill, as using less water can help reduce your overall cost.

How your bill is structured

Your current bill now includes four line items:
•    Water Fixed Charge
•    Wastewater Fixed Charge (NEW on this bill)
•    Water Consumption Charge
•    Wastewater Consumption Charge

Billing frequency
•    Water bills are now issued every two months.

A reminder about your last bill under the old system

Water and wastewater bills covering usage up to December 31, 2025, were issued under the previous billing structure. These were the final bills under the old system.

While those bills remain accurate for that time period, Grimsby has now fully transitioned to the new system as of March 2026.

Important note about your last 2025 bill

You may notice that the dates in the top right corner of your last 2025 bill are incorrect. Please refer to the meter reading dates shown in the highlighted section of your bill, as these reflect the actual period you are being billed for.

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