Item - 2025.IE24.11

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, to implement a one-year pilot program to provide rain barrels and downspout diverters to Toronto residents at subsidized rates for collecting stormwater on private property as outlined in Attachment 1 (Implementation Framework for the Program to Subsidize Rain Barrels for Collecting Stormwater on Private Property) to the report (September 12, 2025) from the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, provided that the necessary resources for the Program to Subsidize Rain Barrels for Collecting Stormwater on Private Property are included in the 2026 Budget.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry to implement a three-year pilot program to incentivize green infrastructure for managing stormwater on private property, by establishing a Certificate Rebate for Landscape Professionals and a Design Rebate for Property Owners, as outlined in Attachment 2 (Implementation Framework for the Program to Incentivize Green Infrastructure for Managing Stormwater on Private Property) to the report (September 12, 2025) from the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, provided that the necessary resources for the Program to Incentivize Green Infrastructure for Managing Stormwater on Private Property are included in the 2026 and future years Budget.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry to report back by the end of 2028 on the status of the Program to Subsidize Rain Barrels for Collecting Stormwater on Private Property and on the implementation of the Program to Incentivize Green Infrastructure for Managing Stormwater on Private Property, including the effectiveness of program administration and the uptake by residents and landscape professionals, and provide recommendations and resource requirements for the possible continuation of the programs and / or implementation of additional incentives to further support the installation and maintenance of green infrastructure to collect and / or manage stormwater on private property in Toronto.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry to report back following the conclusion of the Program to Subsidize Rain Barrels for Collecting Stormwater on Private Property pilot on the effectiveness of program administration and the uptake by residents and landscape professionals, and provide recommendations and resource requirements for the possible continuation of the program, and potential improvements for future phases of the program.

Around the world, extreme weather events have become more frequent, intense, and severe due to human-caused climate change. In the last 20 years, Toronto has seen at least four intense storms that have exceeded the 100-year storm, which historically has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year. These storms have caused widespread flooding and power outages and have disrupted transportation, City services, and people's daily lives. While annual precipitation and extreme precipitation events are anticipated to increase in Toronto, the total number of dry days in a year is also expected to increase, leading to increased water consumption, likely the result of increased watering of gardens and lawns.[1]

When correctly installed and properly maintained, green infrastructure can reduce localized flooding by capturing water from small, frequently occurring storm events. For the purposes of this report, green infrastructure refers to either landscape solutions that help manage stormwater by improving water infiltration (e.g., rain gardens, permeable pavement, soakaway pits, etc.[2]) or solutions that collect and store limited amounts of stormwater, such as rain barrels, that collect rainwater from eavestroughs that can be used for watering lawns and gardens, thereby offering other benefits such as water conservation.

This report provides a response to the following Council directives:

- A plan to implement a green infrastructure incentive program for private property, including subsidized rain barrels (2025.EX20.12[3]).

- The feasibility of implementing a grant program to support property owners in enhancing green stormwater infrastructure features on their property to improve stormwater management (2025.IE20.7[4]).

This report outlines the program design rationale, proposed implementation frameworks, and resource requirements to develop and operate two new incentive pilot programs to collect and manage stormwater on private property in Toronto, and reports on potential next steps for ongoing enhancement of program supports for incentivizing green infrastructure in the city.

[1] Toronto's Current and Future Climate: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/949f-TorontosCurrentandFutureClimate-REPORT-Final.pdf  
[2] For the purposes of the pilot program, the following definitions apply:

Permeable Pavement: A type of hard surface such as permeable interlocking pavers or porous asphalt or concrete that allows runoff to seep into and between the paving materials and be absorbed into the ground; Rain Gardens: Sunken planting beds, often incorporating native perennial species, with highly permeable and nutrient-rich soils that collect, absorb, and treat runoff from roof downspouts, driveways, and parking areas; Soakaway Pits: Underground storage systems that receive stormwater runoff on a property and allow it to be absorbed into the ground. They are typically lined with geotextile fabric and are filled with granular stone or other materials that allow water to travel through the pit.
[3] https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2025.EX20.12
[4] https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2025.IE20.7