Public Notice - Paying Utility Bills During the Canada Post Strike
UPDATE: As of October 11, 2025, Canada Post workers moved from a full, national strike to rotating strikes. Although postal services have partially resumed, Canada Post’s service guarantees are still suspended, and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) does not recommend relying on postal service for any time-sensitive items. Please visit the Canada Post website for more details on the strike.
Despite the ongoing disruption in mail, residents and businesses must still make payments by the due dates. All payment deadlines remain in effect, regardless of whether you have received your bill by mail. To avoid late fees, interest charges or penalties, we continue to encourage using alternative methods listed in the attached public notice to make payments on time.
More Information
User Rates
User rates are charged to buildings connected to water and sewer systems. The Regional District of Nanaimo also provides curbside garbage and recycling collections services to most residential properties. You are billed directly by the Regional District for all or a portion of the cost of providing those services - that's called a user rate bill. We also recover some of the cost of providing water and sewer services through your property taxes.
User rates apply to each separate residential unit. That means a home with a suite, or a property with more than one residence on the land will pay garbage & recycling and sewer user rates for each unit.
In most cases properties are serviced by a single water meter. In cases where there is more than one unit connected to a single water meter, the total water consumption is divided by the number of units for an average per unit, the user rate per unit is calculated and then multiplied back by the number of units for an overall total.
User rate bills are sent out twice a year as follows:
- Garbage and recycling are billed once annually in June
- Sewer is billed once annually in June
- Water is billed twice annually:
- In June for the period from September 15 to May 15
- In October for the period from May 15 to September 15
For help reading your Utility Bill, check out Understanding your Utility Invoice.
Payment Deadlines
By statutory requirement, any utility balance unpaid on December 31 each year will be transferred to the Ministry of Finance, Property Tax Arrears, where interest will accrue beginning January 1 of the following year. The RDN cannot accept any utility payments for 2025 after December 31, 2025.
Residential Curbside Collection
Curbside collection rates depend on the size of garbage collect you selected. If you did not select a garbage cart, you would have been provided a 100L cart and charged accordingly.
If paying your bill early, you will receive a Prompt Payment discount of $15. Due dates to qualify for the Prompt Payment Rate will be listed on your invoice,
| Cart Size | Annual Fee | Prompt Payment Rate ($15 flat fee discount) |
| 80L | $192 | $177 |
| 100L | $205 | $190 |
| 240L | $290 | $275 |
For a complete breakdown of rates, please refer to Bylaw No. 1802, Utility Fees Associated with Collection of Garbage, Recyclables and Food Waste.
Sewer Rates
Residential sewer rates vary depending on the service area. The rates per dwelling unit per year are as follow:
- French Creek: $175.63
- Surfside: $145.66
- Fairwinds: $77.09
- Barclay Cr.: $250.37
- Cedar: $233.40 plus $1.60 per day connected
To learn more about your sewer service area, please refer to Sewer Systems.
Water Rates
In the RDN, the cost of water increases with increased usage. This service falls under Bylaw 1655.14. Rates for 2025 are as follows:
|
Average Daily Consumption in Cubic Metres |
2025 Rate |
|
Up to 0.7 cubic metres |
$1 per cubic metre |
|
0.71 to 2 cubic metres |
$2 per cubic metre |
|
Over 2.01 cubic metres |
$4 per cubic metre |
There is a minimum daily rate of $0.50, regardless of usage.
Sandpiper Bulk Water Rates (if applicable)
The RDN has a water supply agreement with the Town of Qualicum Beach to supply bulk drinking water to French Creek water service area residents in the Sandpiper subdivision.
The rate for this service is $2.40 per cubic, in addition to the RDN’s metered water rates.
How your Water Bill is Calculated
Calculating your water bill based on 2025 rates:
Step 1: Calculate your average daily consumption
|
Total consumption (found on your bill) |
= Average daily consumption |
|
Number of days in billing period |
To Calculate the Number of Days in a Billing Period
Step 2: Calculate total bill amount
If your average daily consumption is equal to or less than 0.7 m³ per day, proceed with the following calculation:
|
Assuming your average daily consumption is 0.55 m³ per day (66 cu m / 120 days) (a) Average daily consumption x rate per m³ x number of days in the billing period = 0.55 m³ x $1.00 per cu m x 120 days = $66.00 (b) Minimum daily rate = $0.50 x 120 days = $60.00 Your bill will be the greater of (a) or (b). In this case, your rate would be $66 |
If your average daily consumption is greater than 0.7 m³ per day, proceed with the following calculation:
|
Assuming your average daily consumption is 2.5 m³ per day (300 cu m / 120 days) (a) First 0.7 cu m x $1.00 per m³ = $0.70 per day (b) From 0.7001 to 2.0 m³ (1.2999 cu m) x $2.00 m³ = $2.5998 per day (c) From 2.001 m³ and above (0.5001 m³) x $4.00 = $2.0004 per day [$0.70] + [$2.5998] + [$2.004] = $5.3002 total per day Based on your daily rate, your bill would be: [$5.3002] x [120 days] = $636.02 |
Community Averages Water Usage:
Below are the daily averages of water use by service are for the billing period of September 2024 to April 2025.
| Code: | Service Area: | Cubic meters per Day: |
| W34 | Surfside | 0.82 |
| W38 | French Creek | 0.64 |
| W39 | Whiskey Creek | 0.79 |
| W42 | Decourcey | 0.97 |
| W43A | San Pareil | 0.96 |
| W45 | Englishman River | 1.36 |
| W46A | Melrose Terrace | 0.46 |
| W47 | Nanoose Peninsula | 1.09 |
| W51 | Westurne Heights | 0.44 |
Frequently Asked Questions:
What if the ownership changes?
The Regional District does not read meters when properties change hands. The law firm responsible for conveying the sale must contact the Regional District Finance department for an estimate of the amounts owed and make an adjustment.
Note that the charges remain with the property when it is transferred and the new owner becomes responsible for these payments. The Regional District cannot adjust between owners if the actual amount of the final bill is different from the estimate.
What if I have a water leak?
Property owners are responsible for the maintenance of their water lines and are responsible to pay for any excess water usage, whether inadvertent or not. In some circumstances an adjustment can be made.
If your bill is high and you suspect a leak call the administration office and ask to speak to Water Services. Regional and Community Utilities can be reached at (250) 390-6560.
Why didn’t I receive my e-bill?
We have updated our system and are no longer issuing e-bills. Please go to Online Services to link and register your utility account, sign up for our new features and to receive your bills electronically.
How do I stop charges?
To stop water or sewer charges, you must call Regional and Community Utilities at 250-390-6560 for permission and instructions. A reconnection fee is payable when you wish to re-connect. At the present time the fee is $100.