Rain Ready Ottawa Update

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Launched in 2021, Rain Ready Ottawa (RRO) is a program designed to encourage and support Ottawa residents in taking action to reduce the harmful impacts of rainfall and stormwater runoff and to build climate resiliency.

To date, Rain Ready Ottawa has supported the installation of over 500 projects, distributing over $500,000 in rebates and generating private investment over $3.5 million. These projects are collectively diverting and treating over 16 million litres of stormwater annually.

As a part of Council’s approval of the permanent program in 2024, staff were directed to report back on rebate options for multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) within the program priority areas.

A new multi-unit residential building (MURB) rebate is being explored to provide a separate rebate opportunity for low-rise housing complexes within the Rain Ready Ottawa priority area improve overall program uptake. Specifically, this would target townhome, staked townhome, or apartment style buildings of three stories or less. This includes the following housing types:

  • Low-rise condominium complexes
  • Low-rise cooperative housing
  • Low-rise rental housing
  • Low-rise affordable, deeply affordable, and social housing

The three-story height limit aligns with Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada. Buildings above this height are based on very different engineering and stormwater management considerations and represent more complex structures that are outside the scope of the Rain Ready Ottawa program.

These property types often have significant areas of communal space, private rights-of-way and parking lots that under the existing rebate framework cannot be considered eligible spaces for projects. These common areas represent a significant opportunity for managing runoff to help meet the City’s long-term stormwater retrofit goals.

These properties are also different because they often share stormwater management features, such as downspouts, between units. Exterior improvements for these properties typically fall under the responsibility of a property manager or are covered by common element rules, with additional coordination or approvals required by boards, associations, or several property owners. These requirements vary across buildings based on their own governing bylaws and ownership structure.

Staff have developed a series of options to support low-rise MURB properties within the current Rain Ready Ottawa priority areas including:

  • Clarify eligibility for the existing rebate for individual units within low-rise condominium and cooperative housing complexes for exclusive use areas.
  • Provide a new common elements rebate stream that condominium boards, cooperative housing associations, low-rise rental housing providers, and affordable housing corporations can apply to for retrofits to common or shared areas on their properties.
  • Provide additional support for affordable, deeply affordable, and below-market properties to facilitate stormwater management retrofits.

Staff are seeking public input to help design the final program. Your feedback will help us design a rebate program that meets the needs of your community. Please note that the survey can only be taken once per account.

Purpose of this survey:
We want to understand your preferences and priorities regarding proposed rebate options, project types and support needs for low-rise multi-unit residential (MURB) properties. Your input will help inform the selection of a preferred approach.

Who should complete this survey?
Owners, renters, property managers, and board members of condominium, cooperative, market-rate rental, and affordable housing properties.

Estimated time to complete:
Approximately 10 - 15 minutes.

The Challenge of Stormwater Management

Many of Ottawa’s older urban areas lack modern stormwater management infrastructure. Buildings, streets and parking lots don’t absorb stormwater like natural areas do. When rain falls on these surfaces, it moves quickly into storm sewers as stormwater runoff that drains straight into our streams and rivers, picking up pollutants along the way. This can cause problems like:

  • Poor water quality in creeks and rivers
  • Increased risks of flooding and erosion
  • Habitat degradation
  • Beach closures

Likewise, poor stormwater management around your home can cause damage to your foundation and other parts of your property.

The City has undertaken stormwater retrofit studies for parts of Ottawa and is planning on doing more. These plans identified that stormwater management projects on residential properties can be an important part of the solution to reduce the harmful impacts of stormwater runoff on local waterways. To achieve this, Ottawa residents will collectively need to install thousands of stormwater management projects on their own properties.

These include:

  • Downspout redirections away from storm drains and to permeable surfaces.
  • Installation of rain barrels to capture and store stormwater.
  • Installation of rain gardens and soakaway pits to encourage on-site stormwater absorption.
  • Installation of permeable pavements to reduce impermeable hardscapes and encourage on-site stormwater absorption.

To learn more about the existing Rain Ready Ottawa program and the projects it supports visit ottawa.ca/rain.

Council also recently approved Climate Ready Ottawa, the City’s climate resiliency strategy. As a part of the strategy’s community resiliency actions, Rain Ready Ottawa continues to form a key piece of building community resilience to increased rainfall.

Confidentiality:
Responses will be kept confidential and used only for program planning purposes. No personal information will be shared publicly.

Launched in 2021, Rain Ready Ottawa (RRO) is a program designed to encourage and support Ottawa residents in taking action to reduce the harmful impacts of rainfall and stormwater runoff and to build climate resiliency.

To date, Rain Ready Ottawa has supported the installation of over 500 projects, distributing over $500,000 in rebates and generating private investment over $3.5 million. These projects are collectively diverting and treating over 16 million litres of stormwater annually.

As a part of Council’s approval of the permanent program in 2024, staff were directed to report back on rebate options for multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) within the program priority areas.

A new multi-unit residential building (MURB) rebate is being explored to provide a separate rebate opportunity for low-rise housing complexes within the Rain Ready Ottawa priority area improve overall program uptake. Specifically, this would target townhome, staked townhome, or apartment style buildings of three stories or less. This includes the following housing types:

  • Low-rise condominium complexes
  • Low-rise cooperative housing
  • Low-rise rental housing
  • Low-rise affordable, deeply affordable, and social housing

The three-story height limit aligns with Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada. Buildings above this height are based on very different engineering and stormwater management considerations and represent more complex structures that are outside the scope of the Rain Ready Ottawa program.

These property types often have significant areas of communal space, private rights-of-way and parking lots that under the existing rebate framework cannot be considered eligible spaces for projects. These common areas represent a significant opportunity for managing runoff to help meet the City’s long-term stormwater retrofit goals.

These properties are also different because they often share stormwater management features, such as downspouts, between units. Exterior improvements for these properties typically fall under the responsibility of a property manager or are covered by common element rules, with additional coordination or approvals required by boards, associations, or several property owners. These requirements vary across buildings based on their own governing bylaws and ownership structure.

Staff have developed a series of options to support low-rise MURB properties within the current Rain Ready Ottawa priority areas including:

  • Clarify eligibility for the existing rebate for individual units within low-rise condominium and cooperative housing complexes for exclusive use areas.
  • Provide a new common elements rebate stream that condominium boards, cooperative housing associations, low-rise rental housing providers, and affordable housing corporations can apply to for retrofits to common or shared areas on their properties.
  • Provide additional support for affordable, deeply affordable, and below-market properties to facilitate stormwater management retrofits.

Staff are seeking public input to help design the final program. Your feedback will help us design a rebate program that meets the needs of your community. Please note that the survey can only be taken once per account.

Purpose of this survey:
We want to understand your preferences and priorities regarding proposed rebate options, project types and support needs for low-rise multi-unit residential (MURB) properties. Your input will help inform the selection of a preferred approach.

Who should complete this survey?
Owners, renters, property managers, and board members of condominium, cooperative, market-rate rental, and affordable housing properties.

Estimated time to complete:
Approximately 10 - 15 minutes.

The Challenge of Stormwater Management

Many of Ottawa’s older urban areas lack modern stormwater management infrastructure. Buildings, streets and parking lots don’t absorb stormwater like natural areas do. When rain falls on these surfaces, it moves quickly into storm sewers as stormwater runoff that drains straight into our streams and rivers, picking up pollutants along the way. This can cause problems like:

  • Poor water quality in creeks and rivers
  • Increased risks of flooding and erosion
  • Habitat degradation
  • Beach closures

Likewise, poor stormwater management around your home can cause damage to your foundation and other parts of your property.

The City has undertaken stormwater retrofit studies for parts of Ottawa and is planning on doing more. These plans identified that stormwater management projects on residential properties can be an important part of the solution to reduce the harmful impacts of stormwater runoff on local waterways. To achieve this, Ottawa residents will collectively need to install thousands of stormwater management projects on their own properties.

These include:

  • Downspout redirections away from storm drains and to permeable surfaces.
  • Installation of rain barrels to capture and store stormwater.
  • Installation of rain gardens and soakaway pits to encourage on-site stormwater absorption.
  • Installation of permeable pavements to reduce impermeable hardscapes and encourage on-site stormwater absorption.

To learn more about the existing Rain Ready Ottawa program and the projects it supports visit ottawa.ca/rain.

Council also recently approved Climate Ready Ottawa, the City’s climate resiliency strategy. As a part of the strategy’s community resiliency actions, Rain Ready Ottawa continues to form a key piece of building community resilience to increased rainfall.

Confidentiality:
Responses will be kept confidential and used only for program planning purposes. No personal information will be shared publicly.

Page last updated: 30 Jan 2026, 11:48 AM