Wastewater in Ramara: the whole story
Last verified June 11, 2026 · Every claim links to its source · Jump to sources
The short version
Wastewater rates went up 15% in 2026 (about $217 more for a typical household) because the township says the systems must be fully paid for by the people connected to them — and the Bayshore Village system failed, forcing millions in emergency trucking and a $24.1M rebuild. A $30M provincial grant (the largest in township history) is paying most of the rebuild, but the township says it does not directly lower rates. A full rate review comes to council in fall 2026.
Who this affects
Only Brechin, Lagoon City, and Bayshore Village are on township sewer — two treatment facilities serve those communities. Seven small municipal water systems serve Brechin/Lagoon City, Park Lane, South Ramara, Bayshore Village, Val Harbour, Davy Drive, and Somerset/Knobhill. The rest of Ramara is on private well and septic and does not pay these rates. That split — roughly half the township's people on municipal services, the other half rural on their own systems — shapes almost every debate about who should pay for what. [Township: sewer systems] [Township: water systems]
What you pay in 2026
| 2025 | 2026 (in force) | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wastewater — fixed, per quarter | $208.95 | $240.29 | +15% |
| Wastewater — per cubic metre | $4.35 | $5.00 | +15% |
| Water — fixed, per quarter | $148.32 | $160.19 | +8% |
| Water — per cubic metre | $3.21 | $3.47 | +8% |
The original 2024 plan (Bylaw 2024.79) set wastewater increases at 13% per year through 2033; in December 2025, council amended 2026 to 15% (Bylaw 2025.76). The current schedule continues roughly 13% yearly wastewater increases after 2026 — reaching $565.31 fixed/quarter and $11.77/m³ by 2033 — unless council changes course. OrilliaMatters calculated a typical user (140 m³/yr) pays about $217 more for wastewater in 2026. [Bylaw 2024.79] [Bylaw 2025.76] [OrilliaMatters, Dec 13, 2025]
Why rates keep rising
Four reasons appear consistently in township statements and council records:
1. User-pay rules. The township states water and wastewater "must be fully funded through user rates, not taxes" — covering operations, maintenance, regulatory compliance, capital, and reserves. With small systems and few users, fixed costs land hard on each household. [Township rates FAQ] [OrilliaMatters, Dec 13, 2025]
2. Bayshore Village's system failed. The sprayfields were flagged as near end-of-life back in 2010. By 2024–25 the township was trucking effluent to the Lagoon City plant — over 109,000 m³ in one winter — and took a $1.5M loan (about $226,700/yr for 5 years, charged to wastewater ratepayers) to cover hauling. Mayor Clarke linked the extra 2% on the 2026 increase partly to hauling costs. [OrilliaMatters, Nov 26, 2025] [OrilliaMatters, Dec 1, 2025]
3. Limited options under provincial law. The township's preferred fix — a new treatment plant — was blocked because the Lake Simcoe Protection Act prohibits new discharges to the lake, pushing it to the tile-bed solution. [OrilliaMatters, Dec 1, 2025]
4. Years of underfunded reserves. At the December 2025 community forum, officials acknowledged money should have been set aside earlier ("we should have put money aside for a rainy day"), and a $352,000 annual water/wastewater operating deficit was forecast as of mid-2025. [OrilliaMatters, Dec 17, 2025] [OrilliaMatters, Jun 26, 2025]
Timeline: how we got here
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Bayshore Village sprayfields identified as nearing end of life; environmental assessment process begins |
| 2023 | Council approves the Lone Birch area sewer extension (Brechin) after a resident survey; OCWA delivers the Lagoon City Wastewater Servicing Strategy |
| Nov 2024 | Bylaw 2024.79 sets rates through 2033: water +8%/yr, wastewater +13%/yr |
| 2024–2025 | Emergency trucking of Bayshore effluent (109,000+ m³ over winter; 88,000+ m³ Jul–Oct 2025) |
| Jun–Aug 2025 | Lone Birch construction begins; residents petition against costs cited as high as $60,000–$80,000 per household; heated council meetings |
| Nov 2025 | Council approves $1.5M loan for hauling; 2026 budget includes $10.15M for the Bayshore rebuild |
| Dec 8, 2025 | Bylaw 2025.76: 2026 wastewater increase raised from 13% to 15% |
| Dec 16, 2025 | Resident-organized public forum on rates (two sessions, ~40 in person + 80+ online); Deputy Mayor Keith Bell and Coun. Sherri Bell attend and answer questions |
| Jan 16, 2026 | Province announces $30M for Ramara — the largest infrastructure grant in township history |
| Feb 27, 2026 | Final Lone Birch homeowner charge lands at $17,097.38 lump sum (or 20-year financing at ~4.95%) — down sharply from earlier estimates |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Council awards the Bayshore tile-bed contract: $24,146,270 total (~$17.6M provincial, ~$6.5M township) |
| May 15, 2026 | Official groundbreaking on the new Bayshore facility (WWTF 202) |
| Fall 2026 | Comprehensive rate review due at council — modelling rates with and without the grant |
Sources for each row are in the source list below.
The $30M grant: what it does and doesn't do
The grant (Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program — Health and Safety Water Stream) funds capital projects, mainly the Bayshore rebuild, where the province is covering about 73% of eligible costs (~$17.6M of the $24.1M contract). The township states plainly that the grant "does not directly reduce water or wastewater rates." What it can do is prevent future increases from being even larger — council has directed staff to model rates with and without the grant, due back in fall 2026. [Township, Jan 16, 2026] [Township, Mar 10, 2026] [OrilliaMatters, Feb 11, 2026]
The Lone Birch story (Brechin sewer extension)
About 81 properties in the Lone Birch Trail / Maple Trail / Ridge Avenue area were connected to a new low-pressure sewer. Cost estimates swung wildly — residents heard figures from $60,000–$80,000 all-in during 2025, then $30,000, then $20,000 — before the final capital charge landed at $17,097.38 (lump sum due April 15, 2026, or automatic 20-year financing on the tax bill at an estimated 4.95%). Private costs — grinder pump, permits, septic decommissioning — are extra and vary by property. Residents have roughly until end of 2028 to connect. The township cited majority support in its 2022–23 survey (56% of those responding); residents later petitioned against the project, and 84% of those surveyed by organizers wanted it halted. Both numbers are real — they measured different groups at different times. [OrilliaMatters, Jun 26, 2025] [OrilliaMatters, Feb 7, 2026] [OrilliaMatters, Mar 29, 2026]
Could a septic home be forced onto the sewer system?
This is the question many rural and shoreline residents quietly worry about, so here is the record, straight. It has happened once. In February 2026 council passed Bylaw 2026.10, requiring about 80 properties in the Lone Birch Trail / Maple Trail / Ridge Avenue / Simcoe Road area to connect to the new low-pressure sewer by December 31, 2028 and decommission their septic systems. There is no opt-out or hardship clause; non-compliance is an offence with fines up to $25,000 (first offence). The capital charge is $17,097.38 per property (lump sum) or roughly $28,000 financed over 20 years on the tax bill — plus private costs (grinder pump, permits, decommissioning). The legal authority is Ontario's Municipal Act, 2001, which lets municipalities require connection where a sewer is available. Coun. Sherri Bell proposed exemptions for newer septic systems, hardship cases, a longer window, and lower fines; the amendments did not pass. [Bylaw 2026.10] [Township project page] [OrilliaMatters, Feb 24, 2026]
What is NOT happening: there is no township-wide mandatory connection bylaw — Bylaw 2026.10 applies only to its listed properties, and forcing another street would first require building a sewer there plus a new public council decision. The $30M "Connect and Protect" grant does not extend sewers into septic neighbourhoods: its four projects are the Bayshore rebuild, upgrades to the Lagoon City/Brechin water and wastewater treatment plants, and a South Ramara drinking-water extension. The "1,825 homes" figure in the announcements counts homes whose existing service benefits from the upgrades — not septic homes being ordered to connect. The township's septic re-inspection program (mandatory within 100 m of the Lake Simcoe shoreline or municipal wells, 5-year cycle) can require you to repair or replace a failing septic, but it does not force a sewer connection. [Staff memo: the four grant projects] [Re-inspection program]
Would it be a surprise? Not overnight — but don't count on a knock at the door either. Lone Birch took four years from the first public council report (July 2022) to the mandatory bylaw (February 2026), with a mailed owner survey and multiple public meetings along the way; even so, many residents said they felt blindsided and only realized construction was imminent in mid-2025. Two early-warning signs worth knowing: the township's Sanitary Sewer Master Servicing Plan has identified priority areas since 2004 (Lone Birch was one), and Lakeshore Drive (Simcoe Road to Concession Road 3) was surveyed for water and sanitary servicing in 2022 — only a watermain proceeded, and it was deferred over budget. At the February 2026 meeting a resident outside the service area asked council for reassurance that her area wouldn't be next; the coverage records no reassurance given. The practical defence is visibility: subscribe to council agendas ↗, respond to any township survey that arrives in the mail, and raise it with candidates before the October 26, 2026 election. [Township project chronology & FAQ] [OrilliaMatters, Jun 26, 2025] [OrilliaMatters, Feb 24, 2026]
What's next
Construction on the new Bayshore facility runs through mid-2027 (first tile beds due around November 2026; trucking and sprayfields continue meanwhile). The big decision point is the fall 2026 rate review — arriving right around the October 26 municipal election, when a new council (Mayor Clarke is not seeking re-election) will set the direction for 2027 rates and beyond. [Township, Mar 10, 2026] [OrilliaMatters]
Sources
Township of Ramara: Bylaw 2024.79 (rates 2025–2033) ·
Bylaw 2025.76 (2026 amendment) ·
Utility billing & rates FAQ ·
Sewer systems ·
WWTF 202 project page ·
$30M grant release (Jan 16, 2026) ·
Tender award release (Mar 10, 2026) ·
OCWA Lagoon City servicing strategy (2023)
OrilliaMatters:
Jun 26, 2025 ·
Aug 25, 2025 ·
Nov 26, 2025 ·
Dec 1, 2025 ·
Dec 8, 2025 ·
Dec 13, 2025 ·
Dec 17, 2025 ·
Jan 16, 2026 ·
Feb 7, 2026 ·
Feb 11, 2026 ·
Mar 29, 2026 ·
May 15, 2026