Water Rates

Virtually all properties in the District have water meters. Water is measured in “units”; one unit is equal to 623 gallons or 2,832 litres. The rates approved by Municipal Council for 2024 are $3.84 per unit in addition to a basic charge of $284.70 per year ($0.78 per day).

These rates apply to all properties except those that have more than two apartments. For those with more than two apartments, the basic charge is $142.35 per year ($0.39 per day) multiplied by the number of apartments; the consumption charge remains the same.

When there is a change in ownership or occupancy and a special meter reading is requested, a charge of $30.00 will be added to the next utility bill.

Water Meters in Oak Bay

It is the District of Oak Bay’s policy not to turn off any water meters in Oak Bay. Once a meter is activated, it will continue to be read and billed until it has been removed. This is a Municipal standard across North America. Water meters are considered the first step in water demand management and are key to helping both the municipality and users understand how much water is being used. Keeping water meters on allows the Municipality to detect water leaks and potential water theft. 
 
Residents may request to shut off the water supply to their property to find the source of a water leak, for construction or renovation work that affects plumbing systems, turning off irrigation systems, or during extended absences from a property. In these cases, valves at the meter may be closed but the meter will continue to be read and billed.  
 
Water is an essential resource, and the measurement of water consumption is critical for accurately distributing delivery costs and helps ensure better resource management while encouraging a sustainable approach to water conservation.

Sewer Rates

The sewer charges on the utility bill are used to recover a portion of the Municipal costs to run the sewer system and a portion of the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) sewer debt cost and sewer treatment plant operating cost. The CRD sewer debt costs are for debt incurred after 2006 for sewer work relating to Oak Bay. The 2024 Municipal sewer user rate is $3.06 per unit of water used and the CRD sewer user rate is $6.72 per unit.

These rates are applied to 100% of the water used by properties that are not residential, have mixed use, or have two water meters. In the last case, there are no sewer charges for the water that is used through the garden meter. For all other residential properties, the charges are calculated on 60% of the water consumed.