Scarborough condo residents hit with surprise $3,000 water meter bill
The city promised free meter replacements. Residents at Baumburgh Gate say they're being charged for electrical work the city didn't disclose.
Residents of Baumburgh Gate, a multi-unit condo on McNicoll Road in Scarborough, are pushing back after receiving bills around $3,000 to install wiring for new water meters — despite the city's promise that the replacement would be free.
The $103 million city program is replacing 470,000 outdated water meter transmission units across Toronto at no cost to homeowners. The city posted about it online and notified residents the installation would be free. But Chi Ma, who sits on the board, says the fine print didn't mention electrical work.
"They told us there would be no cost," Ma said. "Claiming that it's free, and nobody has to pay for anything, then hitting us with a bill is a contradiction."
The city's General Manager of Toronto Water, Lou Di Gironimo, confirmed that customers aren't charged for the meter itself. But he added that multi-residential properties with complex, legacy installations may need additional wiring — something the city didn't flag in its public notices.
"This is not the case for residential homes," Di Gironimo said, distinguishing Baumburgh Gate's setup as unusual. Ma eventually secured a commitment that the board would pay upfront but be reimbursed. Still, he worries other residents may have paid without realizing a refund was possible.
"If we didn't look closely, it could've easily slipped by us," Ma said. "Maybe we're the only one impacted by this, but I wonder if there aren't some others who probably paid and maybe just didn't realize."