Brad Bradford promises 25% cut to Toronto water bills if elected mayor
The mayoral candidate says he'll lower average bills from $1,118 annually by tapping the city's $1.1 billion water reserve fund. Rival Olivia Chow warns it risks privatization.
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Brad Bradford promised Monday to cut Toronto water bills by 25% if elected mayor, framing the move as returning money the city has been holding from residents.
The average Toronto home water bill stands at $1,118 annually, or $93 per month. Bradford's promised reduction would bring that to just under $70 per month. He said about two-thirds of current water bills fund a reserve account for future infrastructure projects and pipe maintenance.
"That's your money. You've already paid it and city hall has been sitting on it," Bradford said. He wants to make Toronto Water a public utility by banning private investment, with an independent board setting rates. "The rates will be lower than today's because we're going to stop double billing you for the pipes that won't be built until 2050."
Under Bradford's plan, the city would take on debt for water projects, paying it off over time like a mortgage. Toronto Water's 2026 operating budget allocated $1.1 billion—67% of its total—to the reserve fund for a 10-year capital plan. The reserve pays for infrastructure updates, maintenance, climate-change resiliency projects including stormwater management and a flooding protection program with homeowner subsidies, plus the Don River and Central Waterfront project protecting southeastern downtown from flooding.
Olivia Chow's campaign responded swiftly. "Bradford will say anything to get elected," the statement read. "His water scheme will open the door to privatization and cost people a lot more in the long run." Chow's team cited a 2025 provincial water law that allows the province to appoint a corporation to manage some municipalities' water, and gives the province power to approve water rates.
Bradford said he would also pursue funding from other levels of government for climate resilience. The Don River project, begun under John Tory and completed during Chow's tenure, became necessary after a "100-year-storm" dumped a month's worth of rain in hours, flooding roads and uprooting trees. Experts have warned Toronto should expect more such storms in future.
If the reserve fund is redirected to lower bills, how does Bradford plan to finance the $18 billion in estimated water spending from 2026 to 2035?
What happens to communities that depend on the reserve-funded subsidies for flood-protection retrofits if funding is cut?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
What would Toronto water bills be under Brad Bradford's plan?
The average monthly bill would drop to just under $70, down from the current $93 per month.
How much money does Toronto Water currently allocate to its reserve fund?
Toronto Water's 2026 operating budget allocated $1.1 billion to the reserve fund, which represents 67% of its total budget.
What does Brad Bradford say the reserve fund is used for?
The reserve fund pays for infrastructure updates, maintenance, climate-change resiliency projects including stormwater management, a flooding protection program with homeowner subsidies, and the Don River and Central Waterfront project protecting southeastern downtown from flooding.
