City of Toronto notes that basements can flood for many reasons. While the City is working to make improvements to its complex system of underground pipes, sewers and catchbasins, these improvements alone cannot completely protect a home from basement flooding. With the increasingly frequent and severe weather, it is essential that homeowners take the appropriate action to reduce the risk of basement flooding on their own private property. Those who isolate their home from the City's sewer system can significantly reduce the risk of basement flooding.
To assist homeowners, the City offers owners of single-family, duplex and triplex residential homes a financial subsidy of up to $3,200 per property to install flood protection devices including a backwater valve, a sump pump, and pipe severance and capping of the home's storm sewer or external weeping tile connection.
Work that is eligible:
Each property owner is required to have a Plumbing Contractor, licenced by the city of Toronto, carry out a site assessment to determine the suitability of isolating their property from the City's sewer system. Contact Municipal Licensing & Standards at 416-392-6700 to verify that your contractor has the appropriate City of Toronto plumbing licenses. The following items and works are eligible for a subsidy after proper installation:
A: Backwater valve
In consultation with a Plumbing Contractor or Drain Contractor licensed by the City of Toronto, homeowners may determine that a backwater valve on the sanitary sewage and/or stormwater connection could provide sufficient basement flooding protection.
Available subsidy = 80% of the invoiced cost up to a maximum of $1,250 including eligible labour, materials, permit and taxes.
B: Sump pump
In consultation with a Plumber Contractor and/or a Building Renovator with an endorsement for concrete work licensed by the City of Toronto, homeowners may determine that a sump pump is required to manage the water normally collected by footing weeping tiles that drain to the sanitary, storm or combined sewer. Sump pumps need power to operate, so consider installing a back-up power source.
Available subsidy = 80% of the invoiced cost up to a maximum of $1,750 including labour, materials and taxes.
C: Backwater valve + sump pump
Homeowners may determine that both a backwater valve and a sump pump are required (see details in previous section A and B). Available subsidy = 80% of the invoiced cost up to a maximum of $2,800 including eligible labour, materials, permit and taxes.
Backwater valves and sump pumps need to be inspected and maintained to ensure optimal performance.
D: Pipe severance and capping
In consultation with a Plumber Contractor or Drain Contractor licensed by the City of Toronto, homeowners may determine that disconnecting foundation drains (weeping tiles) from the City's sewer system by severing and capping the underground storm sewer connection pipe is also required to protect the home from basement flooding.
Available subsidy = 80% of the invoiced cost up to a maximum of $400 including eligible labour, materials and taxes.
When you are applying for more than one item under the subsidy program, you cannot apply any unused funds from one item to another.
Eligibility requirements and information: The City of Toronto will determine the eligibility of properties that meet the requirements listed below:
- The property must be registered as a single-family residential, duplex or triplex property within the City of Toronto.
- The subsidy is available only to existing homes, not homes in the planning stages or currently under construction.
- The property must have its eavestrough downspouts properly disconnected from the City sewer system, where possible.
- A Plumbing Contractor or Drain Contractor currently licensed by the City of Toronto, must be hired to install a backwater valve and/or perform severance and capping.
- A Plumber Contractor and/or a Building Renovator currently licensed by the City of Toronto must be hired to install a sump pump.
- A building permit and an approved inspection must be obtained for backwater valve installations.
- For properties with a parking pad instead of a driveway, all front yard paved areas must comply with the City's Zoning By-law requirements.
- All installations must be completed before the applicant applies for the subsidy.
- Invoice(s) must show a cost breakdown of all charges, the total amount paid and be clearly marked as "paid in full".
- The property owner or authorized legal representative must sign and date the application form.
- All documents must be originals. No photocopies will be accepted.
- Applications and supporting documentation must be received by the Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program office within one year of the date of completion of the work, as listed on your original invoice(s).
- Subsidies for eligible work are subject to available funding and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Subsidies are provided one time only for each eligible installation, per property, and on a no-fault basis
Below is a list of Toronto area sewer contractors and plumbers who could assist with backflow valve installation:
DrainCity
North York, Toronto, ON
(416) 749-1800 · draincity.com
city plumbers · back-water valve · sump pump installation · water supply line · grease trap
Ideal Plumbing & Drain
37 Nipigon Ave, North York, ON M2M 2V7
(416) 371-7137 · idealplumbingdrain.ca
backwater valves · sewer
"Toilet Clog | Burst Pipes | Backflow Prevention | Backwater Valve Installation | Drain repair | Installing Sump pump | Clogged Drain Repair | Blocked Drain ..." - idealplumbingdrain.com
DrainWorks
ON M8Z 3L2
(416) 233-6699 · drainworks.com
peace of mind · floor drain · camera inspection · water meter · licensed plumber
"They gave us a very detailed estimate and completed the job in only 2 days - including digging up our basement drains, installing a backflow valve, and ..." - homestars.com
New Canadian Drain & Plumbing Ltd
Toronto, ON
(416) 651-2990 · newcanadiandrain.com
drainage system · weeping tiles · insulation
"Since they had to dig up a portion of our basement to complete the work, we also had them rough in a bathroom in the basement and install a backflow ..." - homestars.com
Winners Plumbing & Mechanical Services
71 Whitney Pl, Vaughan, ON L4J 6V6
(416) 906-4600
DrainCom
Mississauga, ON
(416) 989-5757 · draincom.com
underpinning · flood · sewer
"The pleasant team of Tadek and Alex installed the sewer valve and replaced two window wells in only 2 days. Covered my floors - and outside concrete ..." - homestars.com
Public Plumbing
300 New Toronto St #14, Toronto, ON M8V 2E8
(416) 556-5658 · public-plumbing.ca
"They dug into our floors, and replaced all of the clay pipe with plastic and installed a backflow valve to prevent further problems. The city inspector ..." - homestars.com
Lampert Plumbing Systems Inc
119 Miranda Ave, Toronto, ON M6B 3W6
(416) 787-4921 · lampertplumbing.ca
"New fixture and faucet installations with a two year warranty, faucet repair, toilet replacement, and Certified backflow preventer installation and ..." - lampertplumbing.ca
ExpressRooter Plumbing
750 Oakdale Rd, Toronto, ON M3N 2Z4
(416) 233-2660 · expressrooter.ca
"Called Express Rooter to have them install our New Bathtub, they dispatched Vlad to our home. Vlad, did excellent work for us, was polite and stayed ..." - homestars.com
DanMac Plumbing & Drain Service Ltd
33 Chauncey Ave, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 2Z2
(416) 237-9161 · danmacplumbing.com
"The DanMac plumber installed a cheaper model pop-up that was fused. I would have gone for a more expensive one that could have been removed but I wasn't ..." - homestars.com
Aqua Tech Basement Waterproofing, Plumbing & Drain
3 Leggett Ave, Toronto, ON M8P 1X1
(416) 300-2191 · aquaplumbing.ca
"Sewer Camera Inspection; Sump Pump Installation; Grease Traps; Backflow Preventer Installation; Drain Snaking; Water Main Replacement; Sewer Backwater Valves" - aquaplumbing.ca
CAFFREY PLUMBING, BACKFLOW PREVENTION, APPLIANCE INSTALLATIONS
Oakville, ON
(416) 876-3006 · caffreyplumbing.goldbook.ca
Thornhill Plumber
27 Dalmeny Rd, Thornhill, ON L3T 1L9
(416) 371-7137 · idealplumbingdrain.ca
"Toilet Clog | Burst Pipes | Backflow Prevention | Backwater Valve Installation | Drain repair | Installing Sump pump | Clogged Drain Repair | Blocked Drain ..." - idealplumbingdrain.ca
Konkle Plumbing & Heating
5308 Philp Rd, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B2
(905) 563-4847 · konkleplumbing.com
AWS Irrigation Management Inc
304 Stone Rd W, Guelph, ON N1G 4V9
(519) 826-5752 · awsi.ca
lawn sprinkler system · drip
"Automatic lawn sprinkler systems, drip irrigation, backflow valves and directional drilling is our area of expertise; we install, repair, test, ..." - awsi.ca
Watts Water Technologies (Canada) Inc
5435 North Service Rd, Burlington, ON L7L 5H7
(905) 332-4090 · wattscanada.ca
"Introducing the Dead Level™ Presloped Trench Drain System—An innovative drain system designed to reduce installation time & eliminate floating and ..." - wattscanada.ca
Metro Infrared Inspections
10 Nepean Pl, Brampton, ON L6S 5Y8
(905) 260-9335 · inspection-service.com
"grease trap installations; sump pump repair & installation; sump pump backflow valve service; water main repair or replacement; lead water main line ..." - toronto-plumber.com
Drain Cleaning Services Toronto Plumbing Drain
125 Parkway Forest Dr, North York, ON M2J 1L9
(416) 371-7137 · idealplumbingdrain.ca
"Toilet Clog | Burst Pipes | Backflow Prevention | Backwater Valve Installation | Drain repair | Installing Sump pump | Clogged Drain Repair | Blocked Drain ..." - idealplumbingdrain.ca
Watts
455 Horner, Etobicoke, ON M8W 4W9
(416) 503-4000 · wattscanada.ca
"Plumbing Specialties; Pressure Regulators; Relief Valves; Strainers; Tempering Valves; Water Heater Installation Products. Backflow Prevention" - wattscanada.ca
Ideal Plumbing & Drain
125 Parkway Forest Dr, Toronto, ON M2J 1L9
(416) 371-7137 · idealplumbingdrain.ca
"Toilet Clog | Burst Pipes | Backflow Prevention | Backwater Valve Installation | Drain repair | Installing Sump pump | Clogged Drain Repair | Blocked Drain ..." - idealplumbingdrain.ca
Overland flood risks often result in water damage in vulnerable urban areas. New Ontario mapping of surface drainage flow paths can identify the highest risk areas, specifically those around buildings and beyond river flood plains.
Overland flood risk mapping is the natural extension of river risk mapping, up beyond the valley flood plain limits, and across 'table land' as they say in the development industry. Typically in Ontario, regulated valley areas incorporate a range of natural heritage features and hazards including flood plain, watercourse meander belt width, and unstable valley wall slopes. On table land, overland flood risk hazards run across roadways and the developed lot fabric of our cities, sometimes confined in drainage features, or sometimes not. Overland flow zones typically do not coincide with natural heritage features. like vegetated valley flood plains do.
The inset maps shows the overland flow path spread during a 100 year peak flow, and multiples of the flow path that can indicate risks to adjacent properties connected by wastewater systems. The overland flow network is defined for all drainage areas over 3 hectares in size up to 1000 hectares in size. Typically, flood plain mapping is available for the largest drainage areas and would overlap the overland flow path limits. The inset maps shows the overland flow path on an Open Street Map base, revealing where the overland flow path affects buildings and built-up areas.
