Apply to have a sewer connection repaired

Last updated May 6, 2022
Related to

Is your sewer pipe blocked? Do you think it might be broken? If it is located beneath the street, we can help you. Learn how you can apply to have the borough repair a sewer connection.

The sewer connection is the conduit or duct that connects a building to the public sewer line. The duct is used to discharge wastewater and rainwater from the building into the municipal sewer system. There are three types of sewer connection:

  • Sanitary: Wastewater from household use
  • Pluvial: Rainwater
  • Combined sewer: Both wastewater and rainwater

Building owners and the city share an obligation to ensure that sewer connections are in good working condition. In certain cases, a building owner can file an application to have the city correct structural problems with sewer connections beneath public property.

Shared responsibilities

  • Building owners are responsible for maintaining all the sewer connections in their building, including beyond their property limits, or up to the point of connection with the municipal sewer beneath the street.
  • In the event of a structural problem with the sewer, the city will carry out repairs only on the publicly-owned portion. In general, these repairs are carried out between the months of May and November. Only cases involving a sewer back-up inside a home are dealt with during the winter.

Eligibility criteria

  • The work concerns a problem on public property.
  • The sewer connection is:
    • not greater than 225 mm in diameter for a pluvial sewer or combined sewe
    • not greater than 150 mm in diameter for a sanitary sewer
  • The defect concerns the structure: breakage, punctures, staggered joints, etc
  • The problem was not caused by work or the disposal of products, such as oil, grease or acid, or rags.

A plumbing expert, by performing an inspection, will be able to identify the problem and tell you what the diameter of the sewer connection is.

My borough

Shows borough content for
Select a borough to find out more about the procedure.

No borough selected.