Welcome to our new Brighton.ca website!

Welcome! We hope you find our new website helpful and easier to navigate. It's now as easy to use on your smartphone as your desktop. Take a tour and please tell us what you think.

Water

Water Payments

Water and sewer bills are mailed quarterly, with due dates at the end of January, April, July and October. The option to have your water bills and arrears notices emailed to you is now available.  You can register for this service by completing the eBilling Consent Form.

You can make payments by cash, cheque or debit at the Administration Office (35 Alice Street) in person or in the drop box, at your bank, by internet or telephone banking, or by automatic withdrawal.

Credit card payments for water and sewer billing are not accepted directly by the Municipality of Brighton.  However, they can be paid online by credit card using an online bill payment service provider such as PaySimply.PaySimply is neither affiliated nor a partner of the municipality. They may apply service charges and there may be restrictions on the types of credit cards accepted.  The Municipality of Brighton receives only the billed water billing amount. Payment is processed by the municipal finance dept. on the date the funds are received, which may be a few days after payment is made. Please refer to the service provider's website for terms and conditions of their service, charges and payment processing times. 

  • If you have not received your water and sewer bill, please contact the Water and Wastewater Billing Clerk at 613-475-0670 ext. 211 or utilitybilling@brighton.ca
  • Payment must be received by the due date or a penalty of 1.25% is added to any late or unpaid balance on the first day of each month.
  • The Municipality is not responsible for payments made on wrong accounts. If you receive a water and sewer bill that is not yours, please return it to the Administration Office.
  • If you sell your property, please advise the Water and Wastewater Billing Clerk at utilitybilling@brighton.ca or complete this form.

Per our General Fees and Charges By-law there is a fee imposed for:

  • Water and Sewer Bill reprints.
  • Incorrect account number used at bank, internet or telephone banking.
  • Transferring water arrears to taxes.
  • Water and sewer charges are billed in accordance with the Water and Wastewater Fees and Charges By-law.
  • Collection of unpaid water and sewer bills is enforced in accordance with the Water and Wastewater Billing and Collection Policy which is available to review on request.

Water Quality & Conservation

Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS)

Following the Walkerton Inquiry, The Honourable Justice Dennis R. O'Connor released a report recommending new approval requirements for municipal drinking water systems. Accordingly, the Government of Ontario initiated the Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program. This program requires that owners meet several key elements in order to obtain a new license. These elements include:

  • A permit to take water
  • A drinking water works permit (replacing the existing Certificate of Approval)
  • An accredited operational plan
  • An approved financial plan
  • Successful completion of internal audits
  • Successful completion of external audits

The Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program focuses on incorporating quality management into municipal water administration and operations; and is comparable to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) accreditation in the private sector. Another key aspect of the program is its emphasis on Continual Improvement.

The Municipality of Brighton's Water Quality Policy

The Municipality of Brighton is committed to providing safe and reliable drinking water that is compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act and applicable regulations and legislation. We will promote an effective Quality Management System to ensure quality and consistency in all operations associated with the Drinking Water System. We will continuously review, maintain and improve our Quality Management System.

In accordance with Ontario Drinking Water Regulations, the owner of a drinking-water system shall ensure that a copy of an annual report of the drinking water system is available for the users of the system.

There are a number of things residents can do to help conserve water.

General tips for saving water in your home

  1. Check faucets and pipes for leaks. A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 20 gallons of water per day and larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day!
  2. Use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks by reading the house water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.
  3. Fit all household faucets with aerators. This is the best method for conserving water in your home and it is also the cheapest option.
  4. Teach children simple water-saving tricks they can use around the home.

 Saving water in the bathroom

  1. Check your toilets for leaks by putting a little food coloring in your toilet tank and if, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately.
  2. Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators. "Low-flow" means it uses less than 2.5 gallons per minute (replacing an 18 liter per flush toilet with an ultra-low volume (ULV) 6 liter flush model represents a 70% savings in water flushed and will cut indoor water use by about 30%).
  3. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rinse off.
  4. Put plastic bottles or float booster in your toilet tank using an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms. This may save 10 or more gallons of water per day.
  5. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush.

 Saving water in the kitchen

  1. Use your dishwasher for only full loads.
  2. Don't pre-rinse your dishes. Most dishwashing soap brands actually recommend you don't pre-rinse dishes.
  3. Don't leave the water running when you are washing dishes by hand. If you have a double-basin, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you have a single-basin sink, gather washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device.
  4. Dual-swivel aerators make quick rinsing easier.
  5. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables - just rinse them in a stoppered sink or a pan of clean water.
  6. Don't run tap water to get cool drinking water - keep a refillable bottle of drinking water in the fridge.

Saving water when doing laundry

  1. Only use your washing machine for full loads.
  2. Avoid the permanent press cycle on your washing machine, which uses an added 20 liters (5 gallons) for the extra rinse.
  3. Adjust water levels to match the size of the laundry load.
  4. Replace old washing machines with new Energy Star-rated washing machines, which use 35 to 50% less water and 50% less energy per load. Consider buying a frontload washing machine.

Saving water in your yard and garden

  1. Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants.
  2. Use native plants in your yard and garden. Native plants will use less water and be more resistant to local plant diseases.
  3. On sloped areas, use plants that will retain water and help reduce runoff.
  4. Group plants according to their watering needs.
  5. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture and reduces weed growth.
  6. Press mulch down around the dripline of each plant to form a slight depression which prevents or minimizes water runoff.
  7. Water your lawn only when it needs it. A good way to see if your lawn needs watering is to step on the grass and if it springs back up when you move, it doesn't need water. If it stays flat, the lawn is ready for watering.
  8. Letting the grass grow taller promotes water retention in the soil.
  9. During dry spells, stop watering your lawn and let it go brown and dormant. Once cooler weather arrives, the morning dew and rainfall will bring the lawn back to life. This may result in a brown summer lawn, but it saves a lot of water.
  10. When watering the lawn, do it long enough for the moisture to soak down to the roots. Put an empty tuna can on your lawn - when it's full, you've watered your lawn the correct amount.
  11. Set up a rain barrel. You can collect rain water from your eaves to water your garden.
  12. Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.
  13. Check your home frequently for outside leaks.
  14. Use hose washers at spigots and hose connections to eliminate leaks.

Contact Us

Finance

35 Alice Street Brighton, ON K0K 1H0, 613-475-0670 ext. 214

Subscribe and Follow

Stay informed with the latest municipal news and notices. Subscribe to our digital newsletter and follow us on social media to ensure you never miss an update.

Communications and Community Engagement