Town of Stonewall Water & Sewer Service Connections

BACKGROUND/INTENT:        

Requests are made on a regular basis to the Town of Stonewall for property to be serviced by sewer and water and require connection to the Town’s water distribution mains and wastewater sewer collection mains systems. The site can be:

• Existing Property of Record
• Property of Record being Developed 
• Property being created 

Regardless of the type of property being developed Town permission is required prior to the connection being made and the cost of the connection is the responsibility of the property owner / developer.  The Town considers the entire length of a connection from the sewer or water main to the property and eventually the building (including that portion of the connection found in the right of way of the Town) to be the responsibility of the property owner.

The installation of the service connection to be completed at the cost of the property owner / developer and the determination of the cost to the property owner / developer are prescribed in this Policy.  

POLICY/PROCEDURE:

1.  A water and sewer service connection is defined as the installation of a water service line and a wastewater sewer service line from a water main and wastewater sewer main located in a street right-of-way to the street property line of the property being serviced.

2.  The owner / developer of the property being serviced with a water and sewer service connection shall pay the cost of the installation of the water and sewer service connection from the mains to the street property line of the property being serviced.

3.  The cost of the installation of the water and sewer service connection shall include the cost of the materials, equipment and labour to connect to the water main and the wastewater sewer main, to install the service connection from the mains to the street property line, to terminate the service connection at the property line, the restoration of the street surface and boulevard damaged by the installation of the service connection and an administration fee which is prescribed in Section 6. b) of this Policy.

4.   The Town of Stonewall shall be responsible for arranging and completing the installation of the service connection (from the mains to the street property line) to the property being serviced at the cost of the property owner / developer. The property owner / developer is responsible for the continuation of the service connection from the street property line to the building being serviced on the property. 

5.   The following is the procedure for the installation of a service connection to:

       a)      an Existing Property of Record (property legally described by Plan of Subdivision and identified by Certificate of Title) eg “infill lot”

• The Town will require the property owner / developer provide a deposit towards the cost of the service connection
• The deposit will be set by the CAO or their designate and be no less than $10,000
• The property owner / developer will pay to the Town the deposit for the service connection
• Upon receipt of the payment of the deposit for the service connection the Town shall arrange and complete the service connection
• The actual costs of the service connection incurred by the Town will be applied against the deposit paid to the Town by the property owner / developer
• Upon completion of the service connection and the payment of all actual costs for the service connection if the amount of the actual cost is: 

-   LESS than the amount of the deposit paid by the property owner / developer the difference shall be refunded to the property owner / developer, OR

-   MORE than the amount of the deposit paid by the property owner the property owner shall pay to the Town the amount of the additional actual cost 

b)      Property of Record Being Developed under a Conditional Use Order or a rezoning approved pursuant to the Town’s Zoning By-law eg “duplex or multi-family dwelling”

• The installation of the service connection and the cost of the service connection to be paid by the property owner / developer will be addressed and prescribed in a Development Agreement between the Town and the property owner / developer

c)      Property Being Created under a new Plan of Subdivision eg “creation of new single or multiple lots by subdivision”

• The installation of the service connection(s) and the cost of the service connection to be paid by the property owner / developer will be addressed and prescribed in a Development Agreement between the Town and the property owner / developer

 6.               a)   All service connections are subject to inspection by the Town and the inspection fee $50.00 as prescribed in Section 10. b) of By-law No. 05-21, as may be amended.

      b)   All service connections are subject to an administration fee of $75.00 to cover Town staff time involved in the preparation, organization, supervision, and processing of the service connection works. 

7.  In circumstances where a service connection will or may provide water and sewer service to property other than the property of the owner / developer requesting / receiving the connection service the Town may apportion the cost of the service connection among the benefitting properties. In such circumstances the Town will be responsible for arranging for the contribution towards the cost of the service connection from the other benefitting property(ies).

8.  For purposes of ongoing maintenance and operation the Town considers the entire length of a connection from the sewer or water main to the property and eventually the building (including that portion of the connection found in the right of way of the Town) to be the responsibility of the property owner. 

However, based on the nature of the work performed regarding the repair or maintenance of the connection, Schedule “A” to this Policy provides for a decision tree to determine responsibility for the costs incurred for the work completed.

 9.  This Policy shall come into effect and be applicable as of the 1^st day of July 2021.