This is an automated transcription (OCR) of the captured
official document — minor recognition errors are possible; the source
document governs.
Snapshot 40bc3b450b07 · verified 2026-10-26 ·
original document ·
archived snapshot ·
unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.
## CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF RENFREW BY-LAW No. 66-2015
Being a by-law to establish a policy on storm and sanitary sewer lines to private property in the Town of Renfrew and to repeal By-law No. 5-93.
WHEREAS the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c. 25, Section 9, provides that a municipality has the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person for the purpose of exercising its authority under the Act; and
WHEREAS the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c. 25, Section 9, provides that Sections 8 and 11 shall be interpreted broadly so as to confer broad authority on municipalities to (a) enable municipalities to govern their affairs as they consider appropriate and, (b) enhance their ability to respond to municipal issues; and
WHEREAS the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c. 25, Section 87, enables the Town of Renfrew to enter on land, at reasonable times, to inspect the discharge of any matter into the sewage system and may conduct tests and take samples; and
WHEREAS the Council is authorized by Section 78 to 93 of the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c. 25, to pass by-laws for services that the municipality considers necessary or desirable for the public which includes utility services; and
WHEREAS the Corporation of the Town of Renfrew deems it expedient to establish a policy on the ownership and responsibilities of the sanitary and storm sewer services and any attachments thereto from the mains in the streets to the building to be serviced and located on private property.
NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Renfrew enacts as follows:
1. THAT the following is hereby established as Policy for the Corporation of the Town of Renfrew concerning all matters pertaining to ownership and responsibility of Sanitary and Storm sewer lines to private properties and the necessary attachments thereto.
- a. All new storm sewer service lines (if available) and sanitary sewer service lines (if gravity flow and sufficient depth is available) will be supplied by the Town of Renfrew and laid down from the main pipe to the edge of the road right of way (property line). The cost of installing a new service will be paid by the property owner and any fees not paid shall be collected in a manner such as taxes. The cost to the owner to have a new service installed will be in accordance with the then current Council policy on service installation rates. The owner shall submit payment for the services when the request to have the service installed is submitted. All materials used for sanitary and storm sewer lines and fittings must be of a type approved by the Corporation.
- b. The portion of the service(s) from the edge of the Road Right of Way (ROW) to the serviced building is considered private property and is entirely the responsibility of the property owner. The property owner will supply and lay down the storm sewer service line (if available) and sanitary sewer service line ( if gravity flow and sufficient depth is available), backfill, compact and reinstate lines across private property. The minimum gradient of 1% is to be maintained on sewer service lines and minimum cover shall be 1.5 m in depth. All costs associated with the installation on private property will be the responsibility of the property owner. A qualified plumber shall make all connections from the storm and sanitary sewer service lines to the municipal service.
- c. In the event of a sanitary sewer line being blocked by grease or discharge of products that cause blockage and if it appears that this blockage is situated on the portion within the road right of way, and if the owner cannot correct the problem by conventional roding methods using a qualified plumber, then the Corporation will excavate to locate and repair the sewer line and the homeowner will be responsible for all related cost incurred by the Corporation.
- d. For the portion within the ROW, should the blockage or damage be caused by structural failure, joint offset or other defect in the pipe and not be caused by discharge of materials by the homeowners that cause blockage, the Corporation will have the necessary repairs made at no cost to the property owner. Should the damage or blockage on the ROW be caused by the property owner/tenant, the repairs within the ROW will be performed by the Corporation and the cost of repair will be assessed to the property owner.
- e. If, in the event the Corporation excavates on Town property to repair a private sewer line, the Director of Development and Works or his designate determines that the blockage was a result of damage done to the sewer line by road construction or was caused by other reasons attributable to the operations of the town then the Corporation will assume financial responsibility for this excavation and repair.
4. responsible for contacting a qualified plumber to clear the sewer line and provide an assessment of the cause and location of the blockage. If the plumber feels that the problem originated from a structural defect of the sewer line between the property line and the main sewer line within the ROW, then the Town staff may use closed circuit television equipment to inspect the service line. The building owner shall coordinate access to the premises and the building owner shall make available and pay cost for a qualified plumber to open up the sewer system to provide access to inspect the service lines. If the cause of the blockage is a result of structural failure of the service line in the ROW then the Town will assume the cost of the plumber. If the cause of the blockage is from grease or any type of problem on private property the cost will be
2. THAT for the purpose of this by-law the following interpretation shall apply: HIGHWAY shall mean the Road Right of Way (ROW) boundaries.
3. THAT By-Law No. 5-93 be repealed in its entirety.
4. THAT this by-law shall come into force and take effect immediately upon the passing thereof.
Read a first and second time this 27' day of October 2015.
Read a third time and finally passed this 27 day of October 2015.
<!-- image -->
Don Eady, Mayo
Kim R. Bulmer, Clerk
<!-- image -->