When heavy weather hits the City of Toronto basement flooding is on the minds of quite a number of homeowners. It doesn’t take much for some people to experience a flood in their basement depending upon the age of their home and flood protection measures they have in place. For those people out there who may still have to live with random yet sudden onset of flooding there may be anti-flood devices that could be installed to reduce their problems – however, some of these installations may be costly. Luckily, the City of Toronto has had in place a system to provide rebates to those people who need to upgrade their system.

The City of Toronto Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program

The City of Toronto’s basement flooding protection subsidy program was a plan implemented to help homeowners to protect their homes against flooding issues. There are quite a number of reasons that basements flood and some of them are solely to blame on having a connection to Toronto’s sewer system; as the City claims in their flood protection rebate brochure:

“Those who isolate their home from the City’s sewer system can significantly reduce the risk of basement flooding.”

Source: Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program

The rebates provide up to $3,200 to assist the owners of homes ranging from triplex, duplex, and single-family dwellings to cover the costs of flood prevention devices including sump pump installation, backwater valve installation, and pipe severance and capping. Each of these methods of flood protection affects the way that water may enter into the home, for ideal protection from flooding a home will want to implement one or more of these methods if they have no already. Let’s look a little deeper into how these flood prevention devices will help to stop your basement from flooding.

Installing a Sump Pump

A sump pump will eliminate water that collects near the footing of your property and will greatly reduce the chances of a flooded basement from water table intrusion. A sump pump sits in a pit called the sump pit (or sump pump basin) which is connected directly to the weeping tile system. When it rains, water collects in the weeping tile which then drains into the sump pit. As the water level rises within the sump pit the sump pump is automatically activated which pumps water out of the sump pit through a discharge pipe. Once the water levels have dropped significantly the sump pump will shut itself off.

The City of Toronto provides up to a maximum of $1,750 rebate for the installation of a sump pump as long as the installation is performed with a contractor or licensed Toronto plumber. Of course, here at Absolute Draining & Plumbing we regularly perform sump pump installations and maintenance; if you are interested in speaking with us about how a sump pump can help you feel free to call us.

Installing a Backwater Valve

Another common problem that causes basement flooding is water backing up through the city sewer system. This water can be either from a storm sewer or a combination of sanitary and storm sewers; needless to say you do not want this water to be flooding into your home. Water damage from these types of floods can be extensive and are very messy as you can imagine. To stop the water from backing up into your home the installation of a backwater valve can be all that is necessary; the valve will allow water to drain from your home but stop any water that attempts to back up into the drain.

The City of Toronto has made allowance for up to $1,250 per home for the installation of a backwater valve. Again, the work must be conducted by a licensed Toronto plumber or contractor so make sure you do your research before you hire just anybody for the task. We have extensive experience installing backwater valves and documenting the whole process for the rebate claim. Call us for further information on how it all works.

Installation of a Backwater Valve and Sump Pump

The City also has a rebate that will allow people to make a simultaneous claim for both a sump pump and a backwater valve, this joint rebate provides up to $2,800 for the entire process.

Pipe Severance and Capping

Additional measures to prevent a flooded basement include severing the connection of the weeping tile system to the City’s sewer system and capping the underground sewer connection pipe. This will help to prevent backflow directly into the home which may otherwise completely overwhelm a sump pump. To accomplish this process you must consult a licensed plumbing contractor who will assess whether or not this will help to eliminate your basement flooding problems.

The City of Toronto has allowed for a rebate of $400 for the severance and capping of the underground sewer connection pipe.

We Can Help

Here at Absolute Draining & Plumbing, as licensed Toronto plumbing contractors, we regularly perform backwater valve and sump pump installations for residents all over the Greater Toronto Area and provide full documentation of the process to allow for fast processing of your rebate.

Andrew Olexiuk - Your Toronto Plumbing Expert
Andrew Olexiuk - Your Toronto Plumbing Expert
Andrew has over 20 years of experience as a plumbing contractor. He is co-owner and operator of Absolute Draining & Plumbing, a professional plumbing company serving residential & commercial properties across the Toronto, Ontario region.
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Comments
  • sue
    Reply

    Wow I had no idea that these rebates existed.. whenever it starts to rain I get pretty stressed out as we’ve had a few floods in the past.. going to talk to my husband about this pronto

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