Sarnia council is being asked to establish a bylaw to create a new water leak bill relief program on Monday.
Mayor Mike Bradley said it would provide some financial assistance to homeowners who have experienced an unintentional leak.
"I'm totally supportive of the idea, and I think it's an excellent one that's been brought forward by the city staff," Bradley said. "Over the years, we've dealt with a number of situations where people have extremely high water bills, and when the work is done to find out why, it's a leak of some sort that they would not be aware of."
In a report to council, staff said they've received requests for relief for high bills ranging from a few hundred dollars to close to $2,000.
"You can have a toilet or a pipe that's leaking, and you don't know it, and all of a sudden you get a bill of $2,000," Bradley said. "So, this would address that. Yes, it will cost a little bit of money... but it's not much to ensure that people do not get hit with this heavy, heavy bill that's not really their own fault."
If approved, the program will assist homeowners with the cost of a one-time credit to a water bill. Staff are recommending a 75 per cent credit of excess costs to a maximum of $2,000.
Excessive bills from filling pools, watering lawns, accidental use like leaving a tap on, or purposeful damage would not receive relief.
Leaks as a result of negligence -- like allowing the temperature to drop in the home in the winter, causing a pipe burst or properties left unmonitored -- would also not be eligible.
Staff anticipate the bill relief program would result in less than $20,000 of lost revenue each year.