Water Service Connection

It is a condition of this permit that no work in the City’s right of way shall commence until such time as the emergency declared pursuant to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O., 1990, c. E. 9, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, expires or is otherwise terminated.  Specifically, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, absolutely no work that requires water or wastewater shut off, shall be permitted until the aforementioned declared emergency has ended.

WAIVER NOTICE - READ CAREFULLY: The issuance of this permit does not constitute, and shall not be construed to constitute, an opinion on the part of The Corporation of the City of Brantford that the construction to which this permit relates is “essential” as defined by the Province of Ontario. CAUTION – BE ADVISED that the issuance of this permit is subject to all restrictions and prohibitions under the law.  More specifically, this permit does not mean that construction may be carried out in contravention of any act, regulation or provincial, federal, or municipal order prohibiting construction deemed non-essential during a declared emergency or otherwise. To avoid contravention of the law, it is recommended that you seek independent legal advice to determine whether the project is deemed essential under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.9 and the regulations thereunder, as amended, before proceeding with construction. Construction projects deemed non-essential are prohibited.

The  Water Service Connection By-law provides comprehensive measures to protect the City’s drinking water infrastructure and supply, while providing efficient and consistent service to residents and businesses.

The By-law summarizes and formalizes various current practices, procedures and specifications and streamlines services provided to the public. It provides enforcement tools for access to water meters, inspection of installation of water services and protection of the Water Distribution system. The Water Service Connection By-law is available here. The following items are governed by the proposed Water Service Connection By-law 159-2016:

  • Permitting, installation and maintenance of water services, watermains and appurtenances
  • Abandonment and disconnection of water services
  • Use of water supplied by the distribution system
  • Use of fire hydrants for fire suppression and other purposes
  • Installation and maintenance of water meters
  • Use of bulk water station 
  • Use of private water system such as wells and rain water in such a way that it does not compromise the quality of City’s drinking water
  • Administrative and enforcement tools to effectively manage the water

Infrastructure and supply

The By-law is applicable to all residential and business water account holders, property owners, builders and contractors.

Water account holders are required to provide access to the water meter when requested for inspection, maintenance and replacement purposes. There are provisions for enforcement measures for unauthorized use of City water system.

Water Service Connection Permit

As per the by-law, new customers are required to submit a written application form and pay the application fee to obtain a Water Service Connection Permit to connect to the City’s drinking water system. To get the Permit, please complete the online application form provided below and submit to the City’s Customer Contact Center.

There are additional fees for services such as inspection of the water service installed, water meter supplied by the City, water account set up, etc., which are typically applied to the customers first water bill.

After successful submission of the application form, a confirmation of receipt of the application will be emailed to the applicant.

Online application process for Water Service Connection Permit

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the City Customer Contact Center at 519-756-1360.

Frequently Asked Questions

In a nutshell, what is this bylaw about?
This is a bylaw for governance of the City’s water services. The focus of the bylaw is the Water Distribution System and governs the following:
  • Installation and maintenance of water services
  • Use of fire hydrants

Installation and maintenance of meters including:

  • Use of the Bulk Water Station
  • Private water systems (eg. wells)
  • Unauthorized Use
  • Access to property
  • Inspection
  • Obstruction
  • Protection of the distribution system

The bylaw will enact numerous administrative functions to provide better guidance and customer service.

Why is this bylaw needed?
This bylaw is needed to clarify the responsibilities of the City and water customers; to protect the City water supply to ensure safe drinking water to all customers in the City of Brantford; to ensure the system conforms to relevant City of Brantford specifications; and to prevent water loss and risk of contamination and water quality issues resulting from unauthorized use or leaks in the system.
How will this bylaw affect me?

Passing of this bylaw is expected to be mainly “business as usual” for current customers. In most cases they would not be aware of any changes in their service until such time as a new service is needed. New changes proposed are as follows:

For new water service customers or when service changes are needed by current customers, completion of a NEW “Water Service Permit” Application will be required. Approval criteria remains the same. You must complete and submit a permit application where formerly, you were able to apply for service verbally. Industrial, commercial or residential customers must submit a permit application when any of the following services are required:

  • NEW water service pipe installation
  • RENEWAL of water service pipes
  • REPLACEMENT of water services pipes
  • REPAIR of water service pipes
  • TEMPORARY water service pipe installation
  • DEMOLITION of water service pipe
  • SEASONAL water supply

Separate Application Process for the following service requests:

  • HYDRANT RELOCATION
  • HYDRANT FLOW TEST 

If you have an existing alternate water supply such as a well, you will be required to report it’s existence to allow for inspection and monitoring

If you have a private water supply cross-connected to your municipal water supply you will be required to fully disconnect the systems and maintain separation.

If you are on well water where City water has been made available to your property, you must now connect to City supply.

How will this program be administered?
It will be administered by the General Manager of the Public Work’s Commission.
What is the effective start date of this bylaw?
January 1st, 2017 is currently proposed as the effective start date.
Who will be affected by this bylaw?
This bylaw will apply to all water customers, including builders, developers, landscapers and contractors who are involved with water services from a construction perspective.
 Is there a cost for the new Water Service Permit?

Yes, there is a permit fee which can be found on the Fees and Schedules by-law.

When is a builder required to apply for a new service?
Anytime water is required at the property that is not trucked in, a Water Service Permit Application must be submitted.
Can a property with more than one building be serviced by separate water service pipes?
No. With the exception of multiple dwellings that front onto the streetline of the property, all properties are to be serviced by one water pipe, unless otherwise approved by the General Manager.
How do water service connection procedures differ between, Residential, Commercial, Institutional and Industrial customers?

Water Service Connection Procedures to be followed will be the same as they were prior to the bylaw being passed (business as usual) as follows:

  • For all RESIDENTIAL customers sized 25mm (1”) and under, the customer is required to simply submit the application form to Customer Services to review for any applicable service charges, eg. frontage charges, pre-servicing charges, and connection fees. All applicable charges will be applied to the customer’s initial water bill and an inspection fee will be charged for each visit required to complete the inspection process.
  • For any industrial, commercial or institutional customers with services sized = 50 mm (2”), engineering site servicing drawings and proposed domestic water demands must also be submitted for review by Engineering to determine meter size.
  • For INDUSTRIAL and COMMERCIAL customers with services sized larger than 50 mm (2”), the customer must first contact the City’s Customer Services Department. The permit application will then be referred directly to the City’s Engineering Department for review. The applicant is then required to supply the City’s Engineering Department with engineering site servicing drawings, design flows for both domestic and fire water demands and metering requirements. Costs will be determined in accordance with the City’s schedule of Fees & Service Charges and the actual cost will be determined and charged for review and inspections upon issuance of a permit.
Why is a Water Service Permit Application form required to be completed when I didn’t need one previously?
An application form is needed to provide more accountability for both parties by giving the City a written record of the customer’s request with signed authorization from the customer to receive the requested service. The City can then confirm if the service requested can be provided and ensure bylaw requirements are met. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to provide clear instructions on what procedure needs to be followed for new water service connections depending on the size of water service pipe and type of connection requested. The application will result in the issuance of a Permit that is required before proceeding.
Is the Water Service Permit Application necessary for completion by homeowners for Lead Water Service replacements?
Yes. The application can be completed by the homeowner or their designate – such as the contractor completing the replacement work.
Is it necessary for a customer to submit a Water Service Permit Application if moving to a house with an existing water service?
No. It is not necessary to complete a Water Service Permit Application for a simple water account transfer for an existing water service, an account set-up fee will be applied to your first water bill.
Can a new water account be opened over the phone for an existing home with water service?
It depends. If the account is for your place of residence it can be opened over the phone. If you are a tenant, a water account application will need to be submitted and co-signed by the landlord.
If we have a fire booster pump system in our facility, do we need to inform the City before testing?
Yes. The City needs to be notified of pump capacity and duration of test with 48 hours advance notice prior to testing in order to know the demand on our distribution system and be able to anticipate any pressure losses in the system.
If I believe that my water meter is not accurately registering, what recourse do I have?

If you suspect that you are overpaying due to meter inaccuracy, it is strongly recommended that you first conduct a thorough investigation of all possible water connections and possible leaks by turning everything off at night, noting the consumption on your water dial and checking it again in the morning. If the dial has moved then you have a leak.

As a last resort you may request to have your water meter tested for accuracy however if the test results show the meter to be within the accepted range for accuracy in accordance with the manufacturer, you will be invoiced over $300 for the cost to have the meter removed, shipped, tested and replaced with a new meter. It is important to note that over the past 20 years, only one residential meter tested has ever been found to have over-registered for water consumption. 

Meter accuracy is guaranteed by the manufacturer for 15 years. Issues with accuracy when they do arise come almost exclusively from under-registering the amount of water passing through the meter. The cause of increased bills is almost always due to overuse of water or leaks that the resident is unaware of.

Under what instances is water shut-off initiated by the City?

Water shut off may be initiated by the City under the following circumstances:

  • when charges, fees or rates imposed by the Fees & Charges Bylaw are overdue; 
  • if a fine imposed under this bylaw remains unpaid after the time given has expired; 
  • if access to the City for the purposes of reading, servicing or replacing the meter is obstructed or denied; 
  • if the owner fails to comply with an order of the Genenal Manager; 
  • if a leak is found that is likely to create an emergency situation or result in a substantial loss of water;
  • if it has been determined by the General Manager that there is an immediate threat of contamination to the water distribution system that may endanger health or public safety; and 
  • for any other situation where the City lawfully decides to cease supplying water.
Does the by-law in any way apply to persons using well water on their property?

Yes. Persons with well water supplies are affected in the following ways:

  • All properties with wells existing within the City limits where a municipal water service has been made available to service the property, will be required to connect to the City’s municipal water supply with complete separation of the well water supply from the City’s municipal water supply system to protect the drinking water supply that serves the City.
  • Any person operating a private water system must notify the City of the existence of such system for monitoring and inspection purposes.
Is this bylaw retro-active?
No. Existing water services are grandfathered with the exception of connections to auxillary water supplies such as wells.
Where can I find out more about the bylaw?
Information can be found on our website as well as at an upcoming Pubic Information Center being held on November 2, 2016 from 5-8 PM at City Hall in the main foyer.

Report

New Water Service Connection Procedure Process Flowcharts

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