Public Works Regulations 2025 (Water and Sewer Guidelines) — full text

This is an automated transcription (OCR) of the captured official document — minor recognition errors are possible; the source document governs. Snapshot 921a1f5425ac · verified 2026-06-05 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

## PUBLIC WORKS REGULATIONS ## Published by Authority  The following regulations have been made by the Town Council of Port Blandford under the provisions of the Towns and Local Service Districts, 2023 and were approved by Council on the day of Lugust 20\_ A.D. 2025.  Mayor. Daree Patenta  - "Interpretations": In these regulations unless the context otherwise requires: - (a) "Act" means the Towns and Local Service Districts Act, Chapter T-6.2 2023. - (b) "Town" means the Town of Port Blandford. - (c) "Council" means the Town Council of the Town of Port Blandford. - (d) "System" means the public water and sewerage system of the Town Council of Port Blandford as the owner and operator of the plant and equipment for the production, transmission, and delivery of water to or for the public, and for the conveyance and disposal of sewage. - (e) "Customer" means any person, firm, or corporation who or which contracts to be supplied with water or the disposal of sewage into the system. - (f) "Domestic Service" means the type of service supplied to the owner or his authorized agent or to the occupant or tenant of any space or area occupied for the distinct purpose of a dwelling house, rooming house, apartment or flat. - (g) "Commercial Service" means any service other than domestic herein defined. - (h) "Abandonment of Service" the process of permanently discontinuing water service to a property. This involves removing the associated fees from a customers account and physically removing or disconnecting the service pipe at the municipal water main (Corpstop) to prevent future use or potential issues. - (i) "Town Employees" means a person appointed as such by Council. - (i) "Town Manager and/or Town Clerk" means the person or persons appointed as such by Council. 2. "Application for Service": Council shall, before rendering service, require a regular application form signed by the prospective customer. - "Payment of Bills": Bills for water and sewer rates shall be rendered to each customer annually, provided however in the case of metered services, bills may be rendered monthly. All bills not paid as stated in billing shall be considered in arrears. 4. "Adjustment of Bills": If the seal of a meter is broken or if a meter does not register correctly, the bill for that service shall be estimated in accordance with the last registered meter reading. Any customer desiring to question his bill must do so in writing. - "Estimated Readings for Billing Purposes": If Council is unable to obtain a meter reading for billing purposes after exercising due diligence in the usual practice of meter reading, the bill for that service shall be estimated in accordance with the last registered reading; subject, however to the provision that in no circumstance shall an estimated reading be used for more than twelve (12) consecutive billing periods. If any estimated bill is rendered for more than twelve (12) consecutive billing periods Council shall notify the customer by registered mail that arrangements must be made to obtain a reading and failing such arrangements, service may be suspended until a meter reading has been obtained. When such reading is obtained the previous estimated bill or bills shall be adjusted accordingly. - "Installation and Removal of Meters": The cost of the meter and installation shall be the esponsibility of the property owner and must be paid in full before services are turned o o the building. Meters shall be removed only by representatives of Council and no othe person shall install, alter, repair, change or remove a meter without the written permission of Council - "Access to Customer Premises": Representatives of Council shall have the right of access to all parts of a customer's property or premises at all reasonable hours for the purpose of inspecting any water or sewer pipes, fittings, appliances, or for the purpose of installing, removing, repairing, reading or inspecting meters. Council shall have the right to suspend service to any customer who refuses such access. - "Discontinuance of Service for Non-Payment of Rates or Taxes": Council may discontinue service from the system to any owner of a building or premises or part thereof who fails to pay on the due date any rates or taxes payable by him/her under the Act. A reconnection fee of fifty dollars ($50) plus all taxes including current must be paid before services are reinstated. - "Location of Meters": Council shall have the right to refuse service to, or suspend the service of, any customer who does not provide a place which in the opinion of Council is suitable for a meter. It should be in the building served, at or near the point of entry of the service pipe, in a place where it can be easily read and where it will not be exposed to freezing temperatures. Where the premises of a customer are such in nature that a meter cannot be properly installed in a building or if the building is not sufficiently frost proof as to guarantee the safety of the meter, Council may order construction of a suitable frost-proof box in which the meter can be installed. The cost of this box shall be the customers responsibility. Services to such premises may be refused or suspended until such time as a frost-proof box approved by Council is installed. 10. "Damage to Water Meters": Each customer shall be responsible for the meter installed in his service line and shall protect it. The customer shall be responsible for any damage to the meter resulting from carelessness, hot water, steam, the action of frost or from any other cause not the fault of the Council or its employees. The cost to Council occasioned by such damage to the meter shall be paid by the customer. If after the rendering of a bill by Council to the customer for such cost, the same is not paid within the time specified in Section 3, the supply of water to the Customer concerned may be suspended until all charges are paid in full. 11. "New Connections Water and Sewer": Customer's shall be responsible for the connection of domestic or commercial water and sewer services to the system. The total cost of materials and installation shall be the responsibility of the customer. 12. "Cutting of Pavement": Where the installation of any water or sewer service requires the cutting of pavement the cost of repairing or replacing the pavement shall be borne by the customer. 13. (a) "Service Shut Off": Any customer wishing to be disconnected or shut off from the system must make a written request to have the water turned off. 4. (b) "Reconnection": Any customer requesting the water be reconnected or turned on to the system shall pay a fifty-dollar ($50) reconnection fee in addition to all arrears of water and sewer rates and taxes. A reconnection fee of $10 shall apply to service lines shut off temporarily. 14. "Cross Connections Prohibited": Connection of any customers installation served by the system to any other source of water supply is prohibited. Any other source of supply must be disconnected before the Town supply is turned on. A valve for insolating an existing source from the Town supply is not satisfactory. An air gap must exist to prevent back siphonage of an existing supply into the Town mains. 15. "Unauthorized Extensions, Additions or Connections": No person shall without the written consent of Council make or cause to be made any connections to any pipe or main or part of the water or sewer system or in any way obtain or use water therefrom in any manner other than as set out in these regulations. 16. "Additional Connection": Any customer requiring an additional or larger service will be required to pay the full cost of materials and installation. 17. "Abandonment of Service" Any customer requesting abandonment of service will be required to pay full costs for removal of service. Service shall be shut off and removed from Corpstop at the mainline. 18. "Improper Use or Waste of Water": (a) No customer shall permit the improper use or waste of water, nor shall he sell or give away water to any person except upon such conditions and for such purposes as may be approved in writing by Council. (b) No person shall use water from the Town system for lawn or garden irrigation by the use of sprinklers or other continuous flow devices, for more than four (4) hours duration in any twenty-four (24) hour period. Any customer failing to abide by this regulation shall be notified in writing that they may have service discontinued subject to Section 13 paragraph b. 19. "Interference With the System": No person unless authorized by Council, shall draw water from, open, close, cut, break, obstruct free access to, or in any way injure or interfere with any fire hydrant, water main, water pipe, sewer pipe, stop cock, valve or any other part of the system provided, however, that nothing contained in these regulations shall be deemed to prevent an officer or member of the Fire Department or Town Employee when engaged in the work of such department, from using any hydrant 20. "Service Pipes": Upon receipt and approval of an application for service to any premises which are not already provided with water or sewer services. Customers may install a service provided that: 3. (a) All underground water service pipe on the council's side of responsibility shall be 160 psi rated polyethylene pipe or equivalent as approved by Council. Joints shall be completed using brass compression fittings. All Brass fittings shall be suitable for underground use. Council strongly suggests all home owners use the same quality materials and will not be held responsible for damage caused by not following this suggestion. 4. (b) The minimum size of all water service lines on the council's side of responsibility shall be not less than 25mm (1 in.) in diameter. Unless approved by Council. 5. (c) Town employees will physically tap and connect all service lines to municipal lines as well as any privately-owned lines to ensure that there is no possibility to contaminate or damage the distribution system. 6. (d) All service trenches are to be adequately benched and dewatered prior to making any service connections. 7. (e) All service pipes are to be installed at a minimum underground depth of 1.5m (5ft) unless otherwise approved by council. - (f) All service pipes, water and sewer, outside the building shall be bedded in sand with a minimum of 150 mm (6 in.) below the pipe and 150mm (6 in.) above the pipe. - (g) A Curb stop shall be installed 1 meter inside of the customers property line or at a location acceptable to town employees and the Customer. Upon completion, the Town will take responsibility for the service pipe from this curb stop to main line. Where in a water service line must cross another resident's private property to serve a customer, the curb stop must be located within the town's water main easement. This is to ensure proper access for maintenance and repair without encroaching on a neighboring private property. - (b) Installation of any service pipe requiring an easement to cross private property is conditional upon receipt of a written easement from the property owner. - (i) Council strongly suggests all homeowners install a gate or ball valve shall be installed on the water service line at the point of entry in the building and shall be easily accessible. Council will not be held responsible for damage caused if this suggestion is not followed. - (i) Council strongly suggests all homeowners install a vacuum relay on cold water inlet between the town water supply and the hot water tank. Council will not be held responsible for damage caused if this suggestion is not followed. - (k) No water or sewer installation or part thereof shall be covered in or hidden from sight until it has been inspected by a Town Official. - (1) Customers shall not install any underground service pipes between November 15th in one year and April 15th of the following year. Unless approved by Council. - (m) Waterlines exceeding lin - (i) The regulations outlined in this section apply to water service pipes with a diameter of 1 inch or less. - (ii) Any person or entity proposing to install a water service pipe with a diameter exceeding 1 inch shall obtain specific requirements and approval from the Town Clerk/Manager. (iii) The Town Clerk/Manager will provide information on application procedures, required permits, materials specifications, installation standards, and any associated fees for such installations." 21. "Location of Service Pipes": Where a service pipe has been installed without objection from the customer as to location of the same, no subsequent removal or alteration to the position of the pipe shall be made except at the expense of the customer requesting such removal or alteration. Where a customer has a sewage disposal other than the Town System, approval of such disposal must be obtained from the appropriate Provincial Government Department before the Town water is connected. ## 22. "Repairs to Service" - (a) "Leak or Freeze Up": If a leak or freezing or other problem occurs in a water or sewer service pipe it shall be repaired as soon as possible at the customer expense. Should the freeze up occur between the boundary and the main line it will be repaired by Council at Council's expense. Location of freezing to be determined by a Council representative. The Council offers customers a waterline thawing machine for a rate of $20 an hour for first hour and $10 hour there after. - (b) "Curb Stop Protection & Repair": Property Owners are responsible for the protection of their curb stops from damage. If a curb stop is damaged by the property owner or persons hired by the property owner and must be repaired by the Town employees, all cost for labour and materials will be billed to the property owner including excavation and backfilling. This policy is to cover unnecessary damage and not curb stops that have deteriorated with time. Public Works Department Staff are willing to locate any curb stop that is not visible. ## 23. "Sewer Lines": - (a) All underground sewer pipe shall be PVC SDR-35 or PVC SDR-28 or as approved by Council. - (b) All residential service lines shall be a minimum of 100 mm (4 in.) in diameter. - (c) All sewer lines other than residential shall be of a size to be determined and approved by Council. - (d) Town employees shall supervise all connections to the sanitary and storm mains. - (e) All service trenches are to be adequately benched and dewatered prior to making any service connections. - (f) Backflow Prevention valves shall be installed on all sewer service lines within the Town. The Council shall not accept responsibility for any damage caused by the backup of sewage. - (g) No basement floor drains, weeping tile or roof drains shall be connected to the sanitary sewer. They shall be connected to a storm sewer, rock well or ditch. - (h) Customers are responsible for repairs to sewer service lines. The Town offers to rent a sewer snake for a rate of $10 for the first day and $5 per day after. 24. "Road Excavations": Road excavations for water/sewer installation shall be permitted provided that: - (a) Road cuts for new water/sewer installation purposes are not permitted from Nov 15 to Apr15 as per section 19 subsection (i). - (b) Over the next 12 months from installation date, the Town will inspect and determine, at their sole discretion, if any deterioration has occurred that would prompt replacement. At which time the deterioration must be rectified by the customer. If the customer fails to rectify the deterioration, Town employees will repair the road with expenses billed to the customer. - (c) If for any reason Town employees need to excavate this section of road the customer is released of any responsibility to the road. 25. "Driveway's/Culverts": If a Property is fronted by a ditch a culvert will be installed into the ditch to construct a driveway provided that: - (a) All driveways shall have a minimum 6m(20ft) culvert. Unless otherwise stated by the Council. Culverts must be a minimum of 500mm(20in) diameter HDPE (High density Polyethylene). The Council may require larger sizes to account for excess drainage. Developers shall ask the Council about appropriate size before installing culverts. - (b) Culverts must be rip-wrapped or walled properly on both ends and inspected by the Town. - (c) Once a culvert has been inspected and passed by employees. The Town accepts responsibility for repair and replacement. - (d) When restoring culverts, at the Council's expense, size will be limited to 6m(20ft) wide regardless of width of the existing culvert length. Additional length may be installed if residents supply the extra pipe length, at the time of restoration work. This pipe must natch materials which the council has provided for restoration work. Town employee vill install this extra length of pipe at the time of restoration - (e) Each property is entitled to a maximum of two driveway culverts, only applicable if found at separate driveways locations. Otherwise one 6m(20ft) culvert will be supplied per property for restoration work. Unless otherwise approved by the Council. 26. "Liability of Town": Council shall not guarantee an uninterrupted water supply or a sufficient or uniform pressure and shall not be liable for any damage or injury caused or done by reason of the interruption of supply, variation of pressure on an account of the turning off or turning on of the water for any reason.  dopted: Used 20, 202 Motion No: 15-159 Darlene Clouter Vida Greening Mayor Clerk/Manager