April 13, 1999

To:North York Community Council

From:Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services

Subject:Sewer and Water Connection Charges - 1999

District 3 (North York Community Council Area)

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to report back to the North York Community Council on the issues embodied in Report No. 2 of the North York Community Council as adopted by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on March 2, 3, 4, 1999, requesting:

1.contact the Toronto Home Builders Association advising them of the new fees for the sanitary and storm sewer connection charges, and to obtain their comments on how these fees compare to fees in other parts of the Greater Toronto Area; and

2.(a)the specific bids made by all contractors and which contractors were awarded the tenders throughout the entire City of Toronto;

(b)the contractors that were used last year in each area and the associated costs; and

(c)the areas in the City of Toronto that are not required to install storm sewer connections to infill and new homes; which of these areas have combined sewers and if these homes are allowed to be built with only a sanitary sewer, how the area could be converted from combined sewer systems in the future.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

N/A

Recommendations:

This report is prepared for information only.

Background:

Toronto Home Builders Association

Attached, hereto in Appendix A is a letter dated April 9, 1999 to the Toronto Home Builders Association requesting comments on the charges being charged in the North York Community Council Area and how they compare to charges by other municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Water and Sewer Connection Charges - Former Area Municipalities

As a result of the February 18, 1999 meeting of the North York Community Council dealing with Water and Sewer Connection Charges for 1999, staff has consolidated the following information pertaining to the Water and Sewer Installation Contracts across the former area municipalities.

Table 1 in Appendix B consolidates all bids received in the last tender call for servicing in 1999. It is to be noted that the former City of York installs water and sewer services using its own forces. Further, bid prices in the former cities of Toronto, Scarborough, East York and Etobicoke include prices for all types of services ie. Residential, industrial, commercial and institutional and all service sizes, whereas, the North York bid price is for standard residential service connections to single family dwellings only. North York calls individual quotations for larger service installations and non-standard residential services and bases the prices on a full cost recovery rather than a flat fee basis.

In each of the above mentioned cases award was recommended and made to the lowest bidder.

Table 2 and Table 3 in Appendix C represents the list of contractors used in 1999 and 1998 and the associated charges to builders/applicants for typical residential water and sewer connections. All charges/costs indicated in Appendix B were arrived at for typical residential service connections on standard road allowances. The following assumptions were made to allow for a comparison to a typical installation within the North York Community Council area:

Sanitary Sewer Connection - 12.5 metres long

Storm Sewer Connection - 8.5 metres long

Water Service Connection -10.5 metres long

Sewer Service Disconnect -included

Water Service Disconnect -included

Further, charges include, the cost of a water meter, road restoration fees, building water/construction water rates, administration charges, inspection fees, engineering fees and any applicable taxes.

Sewer Servicing in Combined Sewer Areas

The former cities of Toronto, York, East York and Scarborough all have combined sewer systems in certain areas of their former municipalities. Whenever a new home or infill house redevelopment occurs, the property owner/builder is required to install separate storm and sanitary sewer connections on private property to the streetline. At streetline, the two pipes are joined vie a wye connection to a single pipe to the combined sewer system. By-laws and policies in the former municipalities of Toronto, Scarborough and York control the discharge of roof water leaders in combined sewer areas. Generally, roof water leaders must be discharged above grade where grade and space permits so as not to cause adverse drainage effects on neighboring properties. If this is not possible, then and only then will the former cities permit the connection of roof water leaders to the private storm sewer pipe that discharges to the combined sewer system. East York on the other hand did not have a By-law or policy to deal with this issue but rather recommended to builders that the roof drains should discharge above grade.

When a combined sewer system is converted to separate sanitary and storm systems, the former area municipalities separate the road drainage (catch basins) from the combined sewer system. There are no programs in place that would encourage the homeowner to separate the private storm system from the combined sewer system in cases where the new home/development has installed separate private storm and sanitary systems. Where a homeowner wishes to fully separate the systems on private property the former municipalities would sell a storm sewer service to the homeowner at current rates.

To alleviate the overtaxing of the sanitary system and combined sewer systems several of the former area municipalities also embarked on a downspout disconnection program that would direct roof drainage on grade and away from sewer systems.

Comments:

The Water and Wastewater Services Division will standardize the procedure of water and sewer servicing as well as standardize the fee structure to applicants prior to the issuance of contracts for the 2000 contract year.

Contact Name:

F. Trinchini, P. Eng.,

Manager, Installation and Rehabilitation Projects

Tel. No. 416-395-6284

Fax. No. 416-395-6200

Mario Crognale, P. Eng.,

Director,

Water and Wastewater Operations

FT/ab

Refer to: F. Trinchini

Tel: (416) 395-6284

Fax: (416) 395-6200

File: NY9884WS

April 9, 1999

Mr. Stephen Dupuis, Executive Director

The Greater Toronto Home Builders Association

20 Upjohn Road

North York, Ontario

M3B 2V9

Dear Mr. Dupuis:

RE:1999 SEWER AND WATER CONNECTION CHARGES FOR THE FORMER CITY OF NORTH YORK AREA

Please be advised that the results of a public tender for service connections to be installed, in 1999, in the former City of North York area, have been received. The following is a list of flat rate charges for most residential connections in the above mentioned area based on the lowest bid tender:

19 mm water service-$ 980.00

(including meter)

25 mm water service-$1,180.00

(including meter)

Sewer connection - Storm-$2,960.00

Sanitary-$2,960.00

Water service disconnect-$ 180.00

(25 mm and smaller)

Sewer service disconnect-$ 600.00

(150 mm and smaller)

Sewer service disconnect

(150 mm and smaller) not in

conjunction with installation of

other services-$ 720.00

Building water rates (for use of unmetered water) - $1.28 for every $1,000.00 of building value.

At its' meeting of March 2, 3 and 4, 1999, the Council of the City of Toronto adopted a staff report, adopted by the North York Community Council on February 18, 1999 setting the new rates. Council further directed that the Department request comments from the Toronto Home Builders Association with respect to the above rates and how they compare to rates in other parts of the Greater Toronto Area.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Frank Trinchini, P. Eng., at (416) 395-6284.

Yours truly,

Mario Crognale, P. Eng.,

Director of Water and Wastewater Operations

SP/GG/fg

Sewer and Water Connection Charges -

1999 - All North York Community Council Wards

(City Council on March 2, 3 and 4, 1999, adopted this Clause, without amendment.)

The North York Community Council recommends that:

(1)the following report (January 8, 1999) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, be adopted; and

(2)prior to the Bid Committee recommending approval of future tenders which substantially increase fees for services such as sewer and water connections, Council and/or the affected Community Council, be informed of the effects of accepting the recommended tender.

The North York Community Council also reports having requested the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to:

(1)contact the Toronto Home Builders Association advising them of the new fees for the sanitary sewer and storm sewer connection charges, and to obtain their comments on how these fees compare to fees in other parts of the GTA; and

(2)provide a report to the next meeting of the North York Community Council scheduled for March 30, 1999, listing:

(a)the specific bids made by all contractors and which contractors were awarded the tenders throughout the entire City of Toronto;

(b)the contractors that were used last year in each area and the associated costs; and

(c)the areas in the City of Toronto that are not required to install storm sewer connections to infill and new homes; which of these areas have combined sewers and if these homes are allowed to be built with only a sanitary sewer, how the area could be converted from combined sewer systems in the future.

The North York Community Council submits the following report (January 8, 1999) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to establish rates to install standard residential sewer and water connections. A standard residential connection will be installed on all former City of North York road allowances located in District 3.

Background:

Two (2) Tenders were called for the installation of service connections in District 3. One Tender established Contractor's unit rates for the installation of service connections east of Yonge Street and the other Tender west of Yonge Street. Flat rates for the installation of 19 mm water services, 25 mm water services, sewer connections, water service disconnections and sanitary sewer disconnections were established for District 3 using the Contractor's unit rates.

In the case of sewers, the standard connection shall have a depth of not more than 2.75 metres at the street line. Where a request is made for a sewer connection deeper than 2.75 metres, the connection shall be tendered with the applicant paying the full cost, except for those connections to existing houses that must be deep because of ground contours. In accordance with the former City of North York Council direction, the standard residential sanitary sewer connection rate shall also apply to existing houses fronting on former Metropolitan Toronto roads, on which no new buildings are being erected and the property has been assessed for the sanitary sewer.

Based on the rates established under Contracts No. NY9884WS and NY9885WS effective the date of Council approval, it is recommended that the charges be set as follows:

Residential Sewer Connection(s) Storm Connection$2,960.00

Sanitary Connection$2,960.00

Residential Water Connection (including meter)

19 mm.$ 980.00

25 mm.$1,180.00

Residential Water Service Disconnection (25 mm and smaller)$ 180.00

Residential Sewer Service Disconnection (150 mm and smaller)$ 600.00

Residential Sewer Service Disconnection (150 mm and smaller)

not in conjunction with installation of other services$ 720.00

The charge for industrial - commercial and non-standard residential sewer and water connections, including residential lots created by land division, subdivision or rezoning, will be the actual cost, plus 10 percent overhead, plus a repaving charge, plus a supervision and inspection charge, water meters and building water rates (where applicable).

Whenever a property owner develops or constructs a new building unit on a property, the property owner/applicant be charged building water rates on a flat rate of $1.28 for every $1,000.00 of building value. This will entitle the owner/applicant the use of unmetered water during the construction process.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The program, structured as a user pay, has no financial implications to the City.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the rates as described above be executed by the City.

Comments:

The procedure for establishing flat rates for service connections in District 3 will remain the same as that which established the rates for the former City of North York. The Water and Wastewater Services Division will standardize the procedure of water and sewer servicing as well as standardize the fee structure to applicants prior to the issuance of contracts for the 2000 contract year.

Conclusion:

This report requests authority to charge water and sewer connection and disconnection rates, as described above, for District 3 in 1999.

Contact Name:

F. Trinchini, P. Eng.,

Manager, Installation and Rehabilitation Projects

Tel. No. 416-395-6284

Fax. No. 416-395-6200