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Water pipe responsibilities for property owners

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• Homeowners (single family homes and duplexes)
• Other property owners

Homeowners (single family homes and duplexes)

You own the water pipe from your home up to the shut-off valve (usually at your property line). We own the shut-off valve. The responsibility for a leak on private residential property can be determined by turning off the water at the shut-off valve. If the leak stops, repairing the leak is your responsibility.

If there is a leak in your water pipe:

You are responsible for:

• arranging for a water contractor licensed by us to make any necessary repairs
• paying for the repairs

If your water pipe is lead, we recommend that you replace the pipe rather than repair the leak. If you replace your pipe, contact us and shortly after, we will replace the lead pipe on the City's portion of the water service (from the shut-off valve to the water main) as part of our lead control program.

When hiring a licensed water contractor, we recommend that you:

• get at least three estimates
• ask for and check contractor references
• call the Better Business Bureau for a reliability report on contractors

Your contractor will be responsible for:

• obtaining the necessary permits
• getting clearances from utility companies (e.g., Manitoba Hydro)
• repairing the leak
• arranging for us to inspect the repair and turn the water back on

We are responsible for:

• providing you with our list of licensed water contractors
• turning off the water so that the repair can be made
• inspecting the repair and then turning the water back on

We may have to turn off the water if the leak becomes a risk to:

• the water supply system
• public safety
• private or public property

While your water is off during the repair, we recommend that you:

• keep your taps closed to prevent flooding when your water is turned on
• turn off electrically operated hot water tanks to prevent damage

If you have any questions, contact 311.

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Other property owners

You may be serviced by:

1. A fire service - a water service that provides fire protection using sprinklers and/or hydrants. You own this service from your building to the City's water main, including all pipes, tees, sprinkler systems, valves, valve boxes, hydrants, and plumbing.
2. A water service for potable water and/or for use in business processes, but not for fire protection. You own the water pipe from your building up to the shut-off valve (usually at your property line).
3. Both of the above

The responsibility for a leak on private residential property with a fire/domestic line can be determined by turning off the water at the shut-off valve at the property line. If the leak stops, repairing the leak is your responsibility.

If there is a leak in any portion of your sprinkler line or fire suppression system service:

You are responsible for:

• arranging for a water contractor licensed by us to make any necessary repairs
• paying for the repairs

If your water pipe is lead, we recommend that you replace the pipe rather than repair the leak.

When hiring a licensed water contractor, we recommend that you:

• get at least three estimates
• ask for and check contractor references
• call the Better Business Bureau for a reliability report on contractors

Your contractor will be responsible for:

• obtaining the necessary permits
• getting clearances from utility companies (e.g., Manitoba Hydro)
• repairing the leak
• arranging for us to inspect the repair and turn the water back on

We are responsible for:

• providing you with our list of licensed water contractors
• turning off the water so that the repair can be made
• inspecting the repair and then turning the water back on

We may have to turn off the water if the leak becomes a risk to:

• the water supply system
• public safety
• private or public property

While your water is off during the repair, we recommend that you:

• keep your taps closed to prevent flooding when your water is turned on
• turn off electrically operated hot water tanks to prevent damage
• notify your insurance company that your fire protection service is off

There are steps you can take in maintaining your private water system (pdf - 197kb) that are important to the successful operation of your business.

If you have any questions, contact 311.

PDF version (43kb) (45kb)