Residential Water and Sewer Lines

Disconnecting water

It is the property owner's responsibility to abandon a water service line that is no longer in use. You must remove the water service at the point where it connects to the City's watermains in a way that is satisfactory to the City.

First, get a Water Deferral permit. This allows you to defer abandoning the property's water service for a specific period of time. The following conditions apply:

• The applicant must pay a water deferral deposit equal to twice what we estimate it will cost to do the work.
• To verify proper abandonment of the water service, the applicant must pay an abandonment fee, as set by Council, then we will inspect the water service disconnection prior to backfilling the excavation. Once we verify that the water service has been properly abandoned, we can arrange for the release of the water deferral deposit back to you.
• If the applicant has not properly abandoned the service line after the permit expires, we may elect to have the work completed by a contractor. When this happens, you forfeit the water deferral deposit.
• Before starting any of the physical work to abandon a water service line, the property owner must get a Street Excavation permit.

To apply or for assistance on disconnection contact Access St. John's.

Frozen service lines

If a pipe has frozen in your house, this is a problem in the internal plumbing system within your home and you should contact a plumber. The City will only thaw external water service lines.

If there is no water entering your home, this could be an issue with your water service line. During periods of extremely cold weather, it is possible your water service line could freeze. To reduce the risk of your pipe freezing, leave a faucet open to allow a slight flow of water in cold weather.

When you call the City to investigate a frozen service at your property, you will be required to sign a waiver releasing us from any potential property damage. You will also be required to pay a fee set by Council before our staff will enter your property. 

We may need to excavate to thaw a service line. The City only offers repair services for the following property types:

• owner-occupied residences
• owner-occupied residential condominiums
• owner-occupied co-operative housing

If you qualify for residential water or sewer service line repairs at your property, you must sign a waiver releasing the City from responsibility for property damage and pay a fee set by Council prior to the City entering your property. It is the sole responsibility of the property owner to reinstate any property or structures necessarily disturbed by the City in the performance of this work.

We respond to calls in the order they are received. To avail of this service, contact Access St. John's.

Leaks

The City has a dedicated Leak Detection team that inspects over 620km of watermains every year for leakage. Finding and fixing leaks is a great way to prevent problems before they happen and to identify the most pressing issues for repair.

The City has identified a leak on my property what do I do?

A leaky pipe is usually pretty obvious and is often a dripping faucet or leaking toilet:

• Visually inspect the pipes in your home and look for water marks on walls or ceilings.
• Look under each sink and around the floor of the toilet.
• Listen for the sound of running of water.

If you are unable to locate the source of the leak, the City will need access to your property to pinpoint the source.

Toilet Leak Test

• Listen to your toilet. If it sounds like it’s running, there’s likely a leak.
• Use a dye test. Put a few drops of food colouring in the tank and wait 20 to 30 minutes. Do not flush during this time. If the water in the toilet bowl changes colour, there is a leak.
• Check the flapper valve. It may need to be replaced, cleaned or realigned.
• Check the float arm. If the water level is above the overflow tube, adjust the float arm down; flush and re-adjust if needed.

Dripping Faucet

If a faucet is dripping, first try closing it tightly. If it continues to drip, there’s likely a worn seal washer. With a little effort you should be able to repair the faucet yourself. If the faucet is washer less, it may be more economical to replace the faucet instead. You may need to consult a plumber for this repair.

Check these other appliances

• hot water tank
• washing machine
• water filtration system
• dishwasher

Pressure

Low water pressure is normally caused by a malfunctioning Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) in the home. This is a problem with your internal plumbing system and you should contact a plumber.

When more than one property in your areas has low water pressure, this could mean a problem with the City infrastructure. Please contact us. There could be a water main leak or a malfunction in one of the City's pump stations.

Residential water and sewer line repairs

If the City determines excavation is required to repair your service line, we offer repair services for the following property types:

• owner-occupied residences
• owner-occupied residential condominiums
• owner-occupied co-operative housing

We do not provide residential water and sewer line repairs for any other class of property.

If you qualify for residential water or sewer service line repairs at your property, you must sign a waiver releasing the City from responsibility for property damage and pay a fee set by Council prior to the City entering your property. It is the sole responsibility of the property owner to reinstate any property or structures necessarily disturbed by the City in the performance of this work.

To avail of this service please contact Access St. John's. Access St. John's is available to take your call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Sewer blockages

If you have a sewer blockage in only one plumbing fixture in your house, this is likely a problem in the internal plumbing system within your home. You should contact a plumber.

If you experience a backup of more than one plumbing fixture in your house, the problem could be with your sewer service line. If you call the City to investigate a backup at your property, you must sign a waiver releasing the City from responsibility for property damage and pay a fee set by Council before we will enter your property.

To avail of this service please contact Access St. John's. Access St. John's is available to take your call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.