---
title: "Bradford defends plan to restructure Toronto Water as Chow and critics push back"
description: "Brad Bradford is defending his proposal to turn Toronto Water into a separate public utility, while Olivia Chow and a union warn the change could let the province gain control."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/brad-bradford-water-plan-october-21"
last_updated: "2026-10-21T20:55:42.663Z"
---

[Brad Bradford](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford) is defending his proposal to restructure Toronto Water into a separate city-owned corporation, after environmentalist David Suzuki appeared at an [Olivia Chow](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow) campaign event to criticise the plan, and a union released a legal opinion warning it could reduce city control over water services. CityNews and CTV News both reported on the dispute on Oct. 21, 2026.

Bradford's plan, announced earlier in the campaign, would turn Toronto Water and its wastewater services into a publicly-owned corporation modelled on Toronto Hydro, which became a city corporation in 1999. Bradford says the change would cut the average Toronto water bill by $300 per year, because the new corporation could take on debt to fund infrastructure rather than collecting reserves through water bills. He says the utility would remain 100 per cent owned by Toronto taxpayers, with an independent board setting rates.

Suzuki appeared at a Chow campaign event on Oct. 21 and said he opposed the plan. "I think it's crazy for a person saying they want to be mayor of the city and one of their <span>

ideas

</span>

 is potential privatization of something like water," Suzuki said, as reported by CityNews. He said water is "priceless and should be sacred."

Bradford rejected the criticism. CTV News reported that he accused Chow of "deliberately misleading people" and "gutter politics." He said his plan keeps water in public hands and would reduce what bill payers pay each year.

Toronto Civic Employees Union Local 416, which operates and maintains the city's water system, has released a legal opinion on the proposal. The union says restructuring Toronto Water under Ontario's Waste and Wastewater Public Corporations Act would reduce the city's control. According to the legal opinion, as reported by CTV News, the Ontario Minister responsible for the act would have authority to change ownership or control of the new corporation, and future governments could change the law to permit private investment. The union named 16 incumbent city councillors who oppose the plan. The union has endorsed Chow.

Chow held a campaign event outside the RC Harris Water Treatment Plant on Oct. 21. She said Bradford would "hand control of Toronto's water to Doug Ford's government," referring to the Ontario Premier. Bradford said that characterisation is wrong and that no government other than the City would own the utility.

Voting day in the Toronto municipal election is Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. You can compare all candidates for mayor at the [mayoral candidates page](/on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor).

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