Quebec is “ripe for a reflection” on the use of drinking water and its pricing, suggested Municipal Affairs Minister Samuel Poulin on Thursday.
In parliamentary committee, he cited examples where the use of water meters had helped to “significantly” reduce consumption, thus avoiding the need to expand the local filtration plant.
“I am currently discussing this issue further with the municipal sector,” he added, noting that government programs allow cities to finance the installation of water meters.
“Does the government intend to concretely encourage municipalities to implement a pricing system for drinking water?” asked PQ MNA Alex Boissoneault.
“That is not our intention,” replied Poulin, recalling the principle of municipal autonomy.
The government will also soon launch a campaign on the use of drinking water, the minister announced.
The issue of water pricing was raised in particular by the recent publication of a report by the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ).
The document, written by two former finance ministers, Monique Jérôme-Forget and Nicolas Marceau, recommended “increasing the use of water pricing” in order to finance the repair of infrastructure, which suffers from a significant maintenance deficit.
In 2025, the deficit in maintaining municipal water infrastructure assets and pavement over pipes was estimated at $49.7 billion, the report said, citing a study by the Centre for Expertise and Research in Urban Infrastructure.
Minister Samuel Poulin argued instead that his government’s Quebec Infrastructure Plan allocated $7.3 billion for maintaining assets in municipalities, in addition to $7.4 billion in transfers to municipalities in 2026.
He argued that 95 per cent of drinking water treatment, supply, and distribution facilities are considered to be in satisfactory condition. As for wastewater and stormwater collection and treatment facilities, the rate is 92 per cent.
However, he agreed that it would take $19.3 billion to upgrade all water infrastructure at “high or very high” risk of failure.
Liberal MNA Marie-Claude Nichols, for her part, pointed out that municipalities are responsible for more than 101,000 km of water and sewer pipes, as well as 10,400 infrastructures related to this area.
No fewer than 43 municipalities have had to halt housing construction projects due to insufficient capacity at wastewater treatment plants, she added. As a result, 36,000 housing units could not be built.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
