Commercial & Multi-family Development Connection Process

​​ It is the owner’s/developer’s responsibility to make a request to EPCOR for the installation of new water and/or sewer services, or modification of existing services at the owner’s expense. We are responsible for the construction of the services from the EPCOR mains to the property line only. The owner/developer is responsible for all works on private property. Only EPCOR crews are allowed to perform work within utility right-of-ways and construct services from the mains to the property line​.

What you should do

Provide a site mechanical plan and a site grading plan (if not included on the mechanical plan) directly to the Water and Sewer Servicing Section of Drainage Planning and Engineering. This plan of the on-site private water and sewer systems must include:

1. Signature and seal of a registered professional acceptable to EPCOR.
2. Address and legal description of parcel or parcels of land to be served.
3. Type (sanitary, storm, foundation, or water), size, location, and invert elevation required from EPCOR for each of the new water or sewer services required at the property line.
4. Indicate each of the existing water and/or sewer services to be re-used by the new development or to be abandoned by the owner or EPCOR.

5. Pre-treatment facility plans, if applicable, for on-site treatment prior to discharge to the public sewer system. The plans must include an assessment of soil contaminants on the site and the potential to release subsurface water to storm sewer system, and the assessment to release industrial wastewater to sanitary or combined sewer system in contravention of the Drainage Bylaw.

6. Site grades, including any separately controlled drainage basins, extent and amount of storage required and available for each of the basins and catchment areas. Show pond and storage areas on the site plan along with maximum pond elevation along with location and elevation of overflow from site.
7. If applicable, stormwater management calculations showing:
   • Site areas and run-off coefficients for each surface and roof area drained for each of the on-site drainage basin areas to be controlled
   • Allowable outflow
   • Calculations for the size and type of flow restrictors being used (include roof drains). Show location and size of each control on site plan

Minimum requirements

• Minimum of 2% for sanitary service, and 1% for storm service from the property line to the crown of the public sewer mains with at least 2.4m in depth (cover) at the property line.
• Water services must be between 2.6m and 2.75m below finished grade at the property line.
• Private on-site water and sewer systems must not cross from one separately titled property to another separately titled property regardless of who owns the properties.
• Private storm sewer systems are required by all commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family developments.
• All developments with outdoor loading docks, wash areas or trash compactor areas must drain to the sanitary sewer system. Developments are restricted to draining a maximum of 250m² of the outdoor area to the sanitary system.
• Each new or existing storm and/or sanitary service for new or redeveloped properties must have a suitable sampling manhole/flow monitoring point located on private property and within 3m of the property line. Exemptions are residential only properties, premises of religious assembly, community leagues, and elementary schools.
• Services entering the proposed property from the utility right-of-way must have minimum of 3m from power/telephone poles, vaults, transformers and switching cubicles located on the utility right-of-way. A clearance of 2m is required from street catch basins, gas service lines and other utilities.
• Any private water and sewer system or building which encroaches or crosses through water or sewer easements within the property require the approval of EPCOR authority.

What drainage planning will do

• Review the plans submitted. If revision is necessary, re-submission of the plans for review is required.
• Once the plans meet the requirements, an approval letter outlining specific costs, and servicing conditions will be sent along with the approved plans.

How the fees are determined

Construction charges are determined based on the fee schedule for services of different sizes and configurations or specific estimated cost for non-standard services.

The construction charges must be paid in advance of the construction scheduling. You may pay by cheque payable to “EPCOR” or by Electronic Funds Transfer. Please note all written construction quotes are subject to revision within 30 days.

General note

• If the services are installed in common trench, maximum width of common trench is not greater than 1m at the property line of the lot being serviced.
• All sewer inverts at property line of the lot being serviced must not vary from the approved elevation at the time of applications.
• If the services are installed on private property prior to the EPCOR connections at property line, the services must be installed within 0.75m horizontally of the alignments approved at the time of application.
• Failure to comply with the above conditions will result in extra construction charges being assessed for any changes required, or EPCOR services will be constructed at the property line to the exact locations and elevation approved at the time of application.
• It is owner's responsibility to notify EPCOR if there is any change to the private site service alignments or elevations at property line. To determine if changes may be accommodated, or additional charges may apply, contact our office prior to the start of construction for the EPCOR portion of the services.​