Sewer & Watermain Capacity Screening Process

Certain municipal zoning bylaws include provisions to ensure adequate water and sewer capacity for servicing proposed buildings or structures. These provisions were developed to address servicing capacity for new as-of-right developments in the absence of site-specific zoning bylaw amendment applications.  

When these provisions are in effect, applicants for Site Plan Control Applications or Building Permit Applications must demonstrate adequate servicing capacity to achieve zoning compliance prior to issuance of an approval.  

When the Screening Process Applies

The screening process is required when a proposal: 

  • falls under a zoning bylaw that includes servicing capacity provisions; 
  • complies with all other zoning regulations (is “as-of-right”) or requires only a minor variance; 
  • is not subject to Site Plan Approval* 

*Note: if your proposal is subject to Site Plan Approval, servicing capacity should be addressed through a Servicing Report, including capacity analysis, as part of the City’s Site Plan Control process. 

Examples of applicable zoning bylaws: 

Applicants should complete the screening at the same time as the Zoning Applicable Law Certificate and the Building Permit Application. The screening is a prerequisite to obtaining a building permit. 

Applicants or their consultant should complete the Sewer Capacity Screening Form and the Watermain Capacity Screening Form, which include existing and proposed site servicing information. The City will use the information in the forms to determine whether municipal watermains and municipal sewers, and their appurtenances, have adequate capacity to service the building or structure. 

The screening will not begin until a complete application is submitted. For an application to be considered complete, the City must receive the following:

Please submit completed applications and questions related to the application process to TWCapacity@toronto.ca.

City staff will review and screen submissions. If submissions meet the conditions necessary for “No-Objection”, a “No-Objection” letter will be issued to the appropriate Large and Complex Buildings manager in Toronto Building, with a copy sent to the applicant for their records. 

Submission of the Sewer Capacity Screening Form and Watermain Capacity Screening Form does not guarantee that a “No-Objection” letter will be issued. For complex submissions, City staff may require more information to support the Sewer and Watermain Capacity Screening. 

Adopted by City Council on February 7, 2024, Zoning By-law 63-2024 focuses on Midtown Apartment Neighbourhoods and applies to four Character Areas in the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan:

  • Erskine and Keewatin (located east of Yonge Street, south of Keewatin Avenue, west of Mount Pleasant Road and north of Erskine Avenue);
  • Redpath Park Street Loop (located east of Yonge Street, south of Erskine Avenue, west of Mount Pleasant Road and north of Roehampton Avenue);
  • Soudan (located east of Yonge Street, south of Eglinton Avenue East, west of Mount Pleasant Road and north of Soudan Avenue); and
  • Davisville (located east of Yonge Street, south of Davisville Avenue, west of Mount Pleasant Road and north of Balliol Street).

This map outlines the areas subject to the bylaw:

This map outlines the areas that are affected by proposed zoning by-law amendments in Midtown, Toronto. These areas include Erskine and Keewatin, the Redpath Park Street Loop, Soudan and Davisville.