Alterations to Drinking Water and Sewage Infrastructure

Alterations to drinking water infrastructure that require approval refer to watermains. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) grants the City the authority to review and accept pre-authorized alterations to watermains in Toronto under the City’s Drinking Water Works Permit (DWWP).

Only alterations that meet the conditions and requirements in the DWWP Schedule B qualify for submission of an application to the City.

Alteration to a watermain longer than 6.1 m

An alteration to a watermain longer than 6.1 me requires an approved Form 1 application prior to construction:

• Applicants can prepare their alteration applications in accordance with the City’s Application Checklist for Watermain Works which lists all requirements for Form 1 applications.
• The MECP Form 1 – Record of Watermains Authorized as a Future Alteration and the City’s Supplement A and Supplement B (if the proponent is not the landowner) must be filled and signed by an authorized person of the proponent, the consultant and a City representative.

Alteration to a watermain 6.1 m or less

Modification or replacement of an existing watermain that is 6.1 m in length (i.e. short length watermain) or less is exempt from requirements that:

• the design is prepared by a professional engineer; and
• a professional engineer verifies Form 1, Part 3, Item 1 as per the DWWP, Schedule B Condition 3.7

Conditions and submission requirements are available in the Requirements for Modification or Replacement of Short Length Watermain.

Alterations that are not pre-authorized

The following alterations are not pre-authorized and must be submitted directly to MECP for approval through a Schedule C amendment application:

• passing under or through a body of surface water, unless trenchless construction methods are used;
• having a nominal diameter greater than 1500 mm;
• resulting in the fragmentation of the drinking water system; and
• connecting to another drinking water system, unless there is written consent from the owner or owner’s delegate of the system being connected to.

Exemptions

Exemptions from approval for alterations to drinking water infrastructure under the Safe Drinking Water Act (O. Reg. 170/03: Drinking Water Systems) include:

• establishment or alteration of or a change to a service pipe;
• establishment or alteration of or a change in an appurtenance of a watermain, if the appurtenance does not disrupt the operation of the drinking water system that the watermain is part of;
• relining of a watermain, if the new lining does not disrupt the operation of the drinking water system that the watermain is part of; and
• replacement of an existing watermain with a new watermain that has similar dimensions and performance criteria and that is in the same or approximately the same location, if the existing watermain was established or altered in accordance with an approval, drinking water works permit or municipal drinking water licence.

Sewage infrastructure alterations that require approval include:

• sewer mains, forcemains, storm ditches and culverts
• stormwater management facilities
• pumping stations
• combined sewage storage tanks and storage structures

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) grants the City the authority to review and accept pre-authorized alterations to sewage infrastructure in Toronto under the City’s Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI ECA) Program.

Effective June 2, 2025, the MECP has issued the CLI ECAs to the City of Toronto for Municipal Sewage Collection and Stormwater Management Systems. As a result, as of June 2, 2025, all new applications for alterations to sewage infrastructure are required to be reviewed under the CLI ECA Program, subject to new MECP’s CLI ECA forms and City’s new wastewater service fees, as adopted by City Council (2024.EX19.9).

The City no longer accepts new applications under the Transfer of Review (TOR) Program. As of June 2, 2025, any open applications under the TOR Program will be required to submit the new MECP CLI ECA forms (without additional fee payment).

Alteration applications for sewage infrastructure

Only alterations that meet the conditions and requirements in the CLI ECAs Schedule D of Municipal Sewage Collection and/or Stormwater Management Systems qualify for submission of an application to the City.

An alteration to sewage infrastructure requires approved MECP Forms SS1, SS2, CS1, SW1, SW2 and/or SW3 application(s) prior to construction (forms are listed in the table below). To submit an application, please contact DWWP-ECA@toronto.ca.

Alterations that are not pre-authorized

The following alterations are not pre-authorized and must be submitted directly to MECP for approval through a Schedule C amendment application:

• Pass under or through a body of surface water unless trenchless construction methods are used or the local Conservation Authority has authorized an alternative construction method;
• Have a nominal diameter greater than 3000 mm for a sanitary sewer, 4000 mm for a combined sewer, 6000 mm for a storm sewer, 600 mm for a sanitary forcemain, 600 mm for a combined forcemain, and 900 mm for a storm forcemain;
• Transit a peak hourly flow greater than 100 L/s for a new sewage pumping station;
• Be a concrete channel for alterations to storm sewer or forcemains;
• Connect to another municipal sewage collection system, unless there is written consent from the owner or owner’s delegate of the system being connected to;
• Create a new sanitary and/or combined discharge point to the natural environment
• Receive or will receive a Section 16 Order (previously known as Part II Order) under Environmental Assessment Act s.16;
• Result in a new combined sewage storage tank.

Exemptions

Exemptions from approval for sewage works under the CLI ECAs, Ontario Water Resource Act (s. 53(6)) and O. Reg 525/98: Approval Exemptions include:

1. works constituting maintenance or repair.
2. a sewer system subject to the Building Code Act.
3. drainage works under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act or the Railways Act.
4. use, operation, establishment, alteration, extension or replacement of or a change in a service connection.
5. use, operation, establishment, alteration, extension or replacement of or a change in an appurtenance of a sewer, if the appurtenance does not disrupt the operation of the sewage works of which the sewer is a part.
6. relining of a sewer if the new lining does not disrupt the operation of the sewage works of which the sewer is a part.
7. replacement of an existing sewer with a new sewer that has similar dimensions and performance criteria and that is in the same or approximately the same location, if the existing sewer was used, operated, established, altered or extended in accordance with an approval granted by a director.
8. use, operation, establishment, alteration, extension or replacement of or a change in a stormwater management facility that
   • is designed to service one lot or parcel of land;
   • discharges into a storm sewer that is not a combined sewer;
   • does not service industrial land or a structure located on industrial land; and
   • is not located on industrial land.

(Note: above exemptions 4-7 do not apply to the use, operation, establishment, alteration, extension or replacement of or a change in a combined sewer or any part of a combined sewer in accordance with O. Reg. 525/98.)

Review process and timeline

All forms must be signed by authorized persons from all parties before submitting an application for alterations to drinking water and sewage infrastructure. A complete application should be submitted by the designated City case manager responsible for primary review or delivery of the project.

A City review engineer with MECP-designated authority will review the application following the receipt of a complete application package. Comments will be provided to the case manager and copied to the consultant(s) within 10 business days from receipt of the application and each subsequent re-submission.

Application support

The City offers optional pre-application meetings to clarify the objectives of the proposal and to identify the necessary documentation required. Contact us to request a pre-application meeting.

Current fees (including tax) for alterations to drinking water and sewage infrastructure

*The fees are reviewed annually and adjusted as determined by the City’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

How to pay applicable fees

Payments can be made via:

• electronic funds transfer (EFT) or wire payment; or
• certified cheque, bank draft or money order.

Payments should be payable to “Treasurer, City of Toronto” and include the payer’s name and mailing address.

For EFT or wire payment, payment/remittance advice is required, including the caption “ECA/DWWP Works Review Fee” and additional payment details (i.e., project name, location, payment date, reference number).

Contact us to request the City’s account information for EFT or wire payments.

Contact us to drop off a certified cheque, bank draft or money order to:

Approvals & Partnerships, Water Infrastructure Management, Toronto Water

Metro Hall, 18^th Floor

55 John St, Toronto, ON M5V 3C6