How Brightly Helped Toronto CRE Clients Navigate the Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program for Big Savings

At Brightly Software, we are committed to helping our clients achieve their sustainability and cost-saving goals. That’s why this year we assisted commercial real estate (CRE) clients in Toronto in submitting applications to the city’s annual Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program. 

In total these applications are projected to yield nearly $500,000 in cost savings for these clients in 2025, and it’s only just the start of what we want to help our clients achieve for the future.  

What is the Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program? 

The Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program is an initiative by the City of Toronto aimed at helping businesses offset their operational costs. The program offers rebates to industrial, commercial, and institutional water customers who use water on-site but do not return a substantial portion of it to the city’s sanitary sewer system. 

This is particularly beneficial for businesses that rely on large volumes of water for operational processes, such as cooling towers in commercial buildings. The rebate is based on the percentage of purchased drinking water that is not discharged back into the city’s sanitary sewer system, and it applies to the sewer portion of the water rate on utility bills. 

How did Brightly help secure the rebates? 

By leveraging Stream, our utility and sustainability management software platform, Brightly was able to assist our clients in accurately tracking and analyzing the comprehensive utility data they needed for the Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program.  

Stream's powerful data tracking capabilities, including both utility bill and water submeter integrations, provided the insights needed to ensure each application was submitted with the highest level of accuracy, well ahead of the February 1 deadline. 

Our team of dedicated sustainability professionals worked hand-in-hand with our clients to identify eligible properties within their portfolios and collect the necessary information. With our expertise and Stream’s robust features, we identified key candidates – particularly commercial properties with substantial cooling tower water evaporation losses – that were eligible for the rebate and assisted them in submitting a thorough application.  

Who can benefit from this program?  

The Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program is available to commercial, industrial, and institutional water customers in Toronto who use water on-site for processes and do not return a significant portion of it to the city’s sanitary sewer system. Businesses with cooling towers or other water-intensive operations are prime candidates for this rebate. 

Brightly’s unique combination of software and services can help you identify these potential rebate candidates within your own portfolio. Our platform allows for detailed tracking of water usage, which is essential for pinpointing areas where water is used but not returned to the sewer system—key information for maximizing your rebate. 

Why choose Brightly Software? 

By partnering with Brightly Software, you can take advantage of both our industry-leading software and our team's deep expertise in utility and sustainability management. We can guide you through every step of the application process, ensuring that all the required documentation is submitted correctly and on time. 

At Brightly, we are more than just a software provider – we are a partner in your sustainability journey, helping you reduce your utility costs, improve efficiency, and achieve long-term sustainability goals. Whether you are managing a single property or an entire portfolio, our comprehensive tools and expert services can help you optimize energy and water usage, secure rebates, and align with your broader sustainability objectives. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how Brightly Software can help you secure rebates through Toronto’s Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program or explore other ways we can support your sustainability and cost-saving initiatives, we encourage you to contact us. 

Our team is ready to help you navigate the complexities of sustainability data management, identify rebate opportunities, and optimize your utility expenses. We believe that with the right tools and expertise, sustainability and cost savings can go hand in hand. 

For full eligibility criteria, refer to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 849, Water and Sewage Services and Utility Bill.