October 23, 1998

To:Works and Utilities Committee

From:Michael A. Price, General Manager, Water and Wastewater Services

Subject:Residential Water Service Connection Repair Program

Purpose:

To obtain approval for a harmonized Residential Water Service Connection Repair Program which encompasses the following categories: Breaks/Leaks, Standard Size of Water Service Connection, Minimum Acceptable Flow, Water Service Cleaning and the Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Currently, the funding that encompasses the proposed Residential Water Service Connection Repair Program and related supporting activities is contained in both the Capital and Operating Budgets; Breaks/Leaks and Water Service Connection Cleaning are funded through the Operating Budget and the Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program is funded through the Capital Budget.

In keeping with this format, the former City of Toronto is transferring their 1999 Water Service Repair Program funding request from their Operating Budget to the Capital Budget. The Water Service Repair item request of $5,891,000 in the 1999 Capital Budget refers to the Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program identified in this report. This sum is a compilation of each of the former municipalities funding requirements needed to meet the demand for this popular and necessary service for 1999 and allows for an increase in funding of $1,500,000 over 1998 to reduce the program duration from 100 years to approximately 70 years.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that, within the following categories, the new service levels should be:

1.Breaks/Leaks

i. Homeowners requesting the City to carry out a street line excavation to investigate a water service for breaks or leaks, which cannot be located using remote leak detection methods, will be required to enter into an agreement with the City. This agreement will state that, if the break or leak is found on the private side of the street line, the homeowner will pay the cost of the investigation.

ii.The City will assume the cost of repairs within the street allowance and the investigation of the water service connection if the break or leak is on the public side of the street line.

2.Standard Size for Water Service Connection

i.The standard Residential Single Family Dwelling water service connection shall be 19mm (3/4 inch) in diameter.

ii.Where a water service connection is to be replaced under the proposed repair policy; and the homeowner requests a larger diameter connection than the standard size, then, if the request is approved by the City, the homeowner will be charged a $500 fee for the difference in cost between the standard size and the size requested by the owner.

3.Minimum Acceptable Flow (MAF)

i.The City adopt 14L/min (3.1 gal/min) as the minimum acceptable flow when measured at the water meter.

ii.The City, at its expense, will carry out the necessary work on the portion of the water service within City property, when the flow within the water service is less than the MAF of 14 L/min (3.1 gal/min).

4.Water Service Cleaning

• The City clean copper water service connections, free of charge, in order to restore the flow capacity of the connection, where appropriate as determined by the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services.

5.Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program

• The City adopt a Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program to provide for the replacement of water service connections within the road allowance in accordance with current standards of size and material (19mm diameter, copper material), at the City's expense if the flow as measured at the water meter is found to be less than 14L/min (and all other alternatives have been assessed) or the existing connection is non-copper (lead or galvanized iron).
• The City combine all the former municipalities water service connection replacement work (as described above) into the Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program with a total funding amount of $5,891,000.00 for the 1999 Capital Budget; this amount is to be reviewed and adjusted annually to meet demands in subsequent years until after the repairs of all sub-standard water services have been completed.
• The City undertake the replacement of substandard services in conjunction with the capital pavement program, as determined by the Commissioner to be appropriate.
• The City establish a Water Service Repair Request List for the replacement of water service connections within the road allowance on a first-come, first-serve basis, continuing each year until the funds for that year are exhausted;
• If any homeowner wishes to have the repair of the water service carried out in a year in which their name is not expected to come up on the Water Services Repair Request List until after the funds available for the year have been exhausted, and the City can accommodate the request within the current program, then the City will agree to the request provided the homeowner first pays, at their own risk, the actual cost for the repair. In such a case, the name of such homeowner shall remain on the Water Service Repair Request List and when their name reaches the top of the List in any following year in which funds have been authorized by City Council, the City will reimburse, in current dollars, the amount paid by that homeowner for the repair of the water service;
• Any homeowner whose name "comes up" on the Water Service Repair Request List for a water service repair and requests that the repair of the water service be carried out prior to the scheduled time for repair in that year, shall be charged a non-reimbursable quick service repair fee of $500.00;
• Homeowners who request the repair of their water service be advised that the repair of the service within the street allowance by itself may not effect a sufficient improvement in water supply and that, in order to gain the full benefit of the repaired water service within the street allowance, the internal plumbing system and the water service connection from the building wall to the street line should also be repaired; and
• The homeowner be given an opportunity to obtain a quotation from the City contractor for the repair of the water service on private property concurrently with the repair of the City portion; however, homeowners shall be advised that disputes regarding work done on private property shall be resolved between the homeowner and the contractor.

Council Reference/Background/History:

The Works and Transportation Service Review Team in their report for Service Leveling to the Transition Team identified several services that have a direct impact on the customer where service delivery and budget allocation need to be harmonized as a result of the amalgamation process.

One of the service activities pertaining to the ongoing operation and maintenance of the City's Water Distribution System that was identified as requiring harmonization of existing policies/practices and service delivery guidelines is the Water Service Connection Repair Program.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The Residential Water Service Connection Repair Program and related supporting activities includes the following categories: Breaks/Leaks, Standard Size for the Water Service Connection, Minimum Acceptable Flow, Water Service Cleaning, and the Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program.

The Water Service Connection Replacement/Upgrade Program is intended to resolve any low flow problems (<14L/min at the water meter) and replace all non-copper (lead or galvanized iron) services over a period of time within the City. Currently, there is a total of 113,000 non-copper services within the City and greater number (than non-copper service connections) of connections providing low flows. Based on a current unit cost of $1,600 to replace the public portion of the water service connection, the replacement of all non-copper services would amount to $180,000,000. The replacement of water service connections providing low flow would be even greater than the replacement of non-copper services.

Breaks/Leaks

Breaks and leaks that occur in water service connections are typically reported by the resident and investigated and repaired by the City. Currently only the East York and North York Districts require a deposit for a water service investigation which includes excavation at the street line. The deposit is refunded if the break/leak is found in the public portion of the water service connection and the City assumes the cost for the repair of that service connection. If the break or leak is found to be on the private side of the street line then the homeowner pays for the investigation. The repair of the private portion of the water service connection must be addressed by the homeowner within 48 hours of notification. We propose to eliminate the requirement for a deposit in some districts and use an agreement as security for the investigation.

Standard Size for the Water Service Connection

Currently, the Building Code (1993) specifies that a standard residential water service connection shall have a diameter of 19mm (3/4 inch).

Using a typical worst case scenario, a 30 m (100 ft) long service connection with a vertical rise of 5 m (16.5 ft), and a watermain pressure of 268 kpa (40 psi), the following flows can be achieved in a new copper water service connection:

12 mm (½ inch)19 L/min (4.2 gal/min)

19 mm (3/4 inch)51 L/min (11.2 gal/min)

25 mm (1 inch)105 L/min (23.1 gal/min)

Assuming a 50-year design life of a 19mm service connection and a reduced flow of 65percent over 50 years, the flow through the 50 year old deteriorated service connection should be 33 L/min (7.3 gal/min), which is considered to be ample for normal domestic uses.

Minimum Acceptable Flow (MAF)

The minimum acceptable flow is the flow in a water service connection which is adequate for normal domestic use. Currently, the MAF specified by the districts ranges from 14 L/min (3.1 gal/min) to 15 L/min (3.3 gal/min) when measured at the water meter. At this time only the North York and Scarborough Districts specify an MAF of 18 L/min (4.0 gal/min) at the street line; in order to determine where the source of a low flow problem exists (public versus private property). We propose that the flow should be measured at the water meter with the MAF to be 14 L/min (3.1 gal/min).

Water Service Cleaning to Increase Flows

Two options exist to increase the flow in water service connections: cleaning, and replacement or upgrade. In the case of the first option, cleaning is carried out using different mediums in different connection types (the methods used in each district vary) and is summarized as follows: air, air/grit or water are used to clean copper connection; and air is used to clean lead or galvanized iron connections.

The reluctance of some districts to clean lead pipes is predicated on the premise that cleaning will expose the lead and result in increased lead levels in the water supply. As well, some districts are also reluctant to clean galvanized iron pipes based on the possibility of rupturing the connection as the material is brittle. Consequently, these options are not recommended.

Water Service Pipe Replacement/Upgrade

The second option for resolving low flow problems is to replace the connection or upgrade the connection to the standard diameter. In the past, each of the former municipalities have used slightly varying policies and procedures in determining the order by which the service connections get replaced.

In the Etobicoke District there is a departmental policy to replace, free of charge, all lead and galvanized iron water services on the City's side when they are exposed by construction activities (ie. road reconstruction) and when requested by a homeowner. Although, there is no requirement for the homeowner to replace the private portion of the water service connection, they are advised that his should be done to get the maximum benefit of the water service connection replacement.

The North York and Scarborough Districts provide free water service connection replacement if the flow at the steet line is found to be less than 18L/min, after the connection has been cleaned. There is no requirement for the homeowner to replace the private portion of the water service connection.

The Toronto District, under its current Water Service Repair Program, replaces, free of charge and on a first come - first serve basis any water service pipe which is undersized (<18 mm or< 3/4 inch) and /or is made of lead or galvanized iron material. This offer is conditional on the homeowner first agreeing to install, water efficient plumbing fixtures, such as showerheads and faucet aerators, provided by the City free-of-charge. In addition, the installation of a water meter at the City's expense is mandatory with the repair of a water service connection. Although, there is no requirement for the homeowner to replace the private portion of the water service connection, they are advised that this should be done to get the maximum benefit of the water service connection replacement.

The York District provides free replacement of galvanized iron water service connection, and pays 50 percent of the cost to replace lead water service connections. The foregoing is conditional on the homeowner agreeing to pay the full cost of concurrently replacing the private portion of the water service connection.

In 1997, under the various free water service pipe replacement programs, a total of 2,731 water service connection pipes were replaced at a cost of $4,370,000, with a unit cost of $1,600.Given the total number of substandard water connections the current rate of replacement would make this a 100 year program. By increasing the annual budget allocation by $1,500,000 we can reduce the program to a 70 year replacement cycle. With the standardization of the service provided the anticipated budget requirement for this program is $5,891,000 as submitted in the 1999 Capital Budget Program for the Water and Wastewater Division.

Conclusions:

In 1998 many residents have been inquiring about free replacement of substandard water service connections because of inadequate flow, and also because of poor water quality, ie. lead from lead service connections and iron from galvanized iron service connections. The foregoing inquiries were made with the knowledge that some of the former municipalities provide free replacement of sub-standard water service connection under their Water Service Repair Program.

Given that the Water Service Replacement/Upgrade Program is expected to service a demand costing up to $485,000,000 for completion across the City, we are proposing a harmonized level of service that will increase the combined expenditures on this program by $1,500,000 in order to reduce the program duration from 100 years to 70 years.

Contact Name:

Mr. T. Ellerbusch, Director, Engineering Design and Construction (former City of Etobicoke)

(416) 394-8399, Fax (416) 394-8942, E-mail tellerbusch@city.toronto.on.ca.

Michael A. Price, P.Eng, FICE

General Manager

Water and Wastewater Services

TE/TD