Municipal System Alterations

Drinking Water Works Permit (DWWP) Alterations

Approval of watermain alteration projects, including those for new developments, falls under the City of Brantford's Drinking Water Works Permit (DWWP).

Only alterations that are preauthorized under Brantford's DWWP can be approved by the City. Non-standard or complex infrastructure changes that do not meet the conditions of preauthorization will require an application to the Ministry of the Environment and must be reviewed and approved by the City before the work can proceed.

Before making any changes to the City's Drinking Water System, it is mandatory to obtain approval from the City. The applicant is responsible for performing their due diligence to ensure they have prepared and submitted all necessary applications and received all required approvals before proceeding with any alteration.

Sanitary and Stormwater Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals (CLI ECA) Alterations

The Ministry of the Environment (MECP) adopted a Municipal Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI ECA) approach to replace the current Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) framework for low-risk projects related to municipal sanitary and stormwater collection, and management. The Ministry of the Environment Transfer of Review (ToR) program has been retired.

Most alterations to Sanitary and Stormwater infrastructure will meet preauthorized design criteria that fall under the CLI ECA process and will be reviewed and approved by the City. The City will review the proposed alterations to confirm they meet the conditions of the CLI ECA and the MECP 'Design Criteria for Sanitary Sewers, Storm Sewers and Forcemains for Alterations Authorized under Environmental Compliance Approval'.

Development projects are no longer required to submit individual pipe-by-pipe ECA applications to the MECP for alteration of sanitary and stormwater collection systems if the project meets the conditions of the CLI ECA. To receive approval through the City, applicants must ensure that proposed alterations meet the following criteria:

Non-standard or complex infrastructure changes to Sanitary or Stormwater Systems that do not meet the conditions of the CLI-ECA will require a separate ECA application to the MECP and must be reviewed and approved by the City before they can proceed.

Approval from the City must be obtained before alteration of the City’s Sanitary or Stormwater Systems. The applicant must do their due diligence to ensure applications are prepared and submitted as required and that all required approvals are received before proceeding with any alteration.

When to request City approval of an alteration

You need to request City approval of an alteration if the project includes alterations with respect to the City’s Authorized Systems (Drinking Water, Stormwater, or Sanitary), including extending the system, replacing or retiring part of the system or modifying, addition to, or enlargement of the system.

Drinking Water System Alterations

Applications must meet the requirements outlined in the City of Brantford DWWP and, the MECP Watermain Design Criteria for Future Alterations Authorized under a Drinking Water Works Permit and be consistent with the MECP Design Guidelines for Drinking-Water Systems to be considered a preauthorized alteration. Designs must also satisfy the standards and criteria of the City of Brantford. If the requirements are not met, a separate ECA application must be made to the MECP. The City cannot approve watermain alterations that:

  • Pass under or through a body of surface water (a ditch is classified as surface water), unless trenchless construction methods are used;
  • Has a nominal diameter greater than 750 mm; or
  • Connects to another drinking water system.

If the project consist of any of the above, approval from the MECP in the form of a Drinking Water Works Permit amendment is required prior to proceeding with the undertaking.

Watermain alterations that include any addition, modification, replacement or extension of the system require an application for approval by the City, this includes, but not limited to:

  • Installation of new watermains to be assumed and operated as part of the City’s Drinking Water Distribution system;
  • Watermain replacement that changes size, material or location;
  • Lowering of an existing watermain;  and
  • Watermain replacement greater than 6 m in length where no changes in size, material or location occur. 

To request City approval for relocation or addition of a Municipal Fire Hydrant, please contact Environmental_Development@brantford.ca.

Installation and/or modification of a private water service requires prior issuance of a Water Service Connection Permit. Please review Water Service Connection Permit application procedures as well as important information concerning inspections, metering requirements and pipe materials prior to proceeding with an online application.

Sanitary Sewage Collection System Alterations

Applications must meet the requirements outlined in the CLI-ECA for the Sanitary Sewage Collection System ECA# 063-W601 and MECP Design Criteria to be considered a preauthorized alteration. If the requirements are not met, an ECA application must be made to the MECP.

The following is a list of Sanitary Sewage Collection System alterations requiring approval by the City. 

  • Installation, modification or replacement of siphons, sanitary mains (gravity or forcemain) and appurtenances;
  • Construction of a new Sanitary Pumping Station (up to a max peak flow of 30L/s) or modification of the existing Sanitary Pumping Station (up to a max capacity increase of 30 percent)
  • Installation or modification of real-time control systems; and
  • Installation or modification of equipment generating emissions to the air (ex. emergency power generators, corrosion control units, venting for odour control).

Stormwater Management System Alterations

Applications must meet the requirements outlined in the CLI-ECA for the City of Brantford Stormwater Management System ECA# 063-S701 and MECP Design Criteria to be considered a preauthorized alteration. If the requirements are not met, an ECA application must be made to the MECP.  Additional requirements and exemptions are listed in the CLI ECA Stormwater Management System Agreement. Alterations requiring approval by the City include:

The following is a list of alterations to the City’s Stormwater Management System requiring application and approval by the City

  • Installation, modification or replacement of Stormwater Works on City-owned property and land on which the City has easement rights, which includes municipally owned parks and community centres;
  • Installation, modification or replacement of siphons, stormwater mains (gravity or forcemain), ditches, culverts and appurtenances;
  • Installation, modification or replacement of Stormwater Management Facilities (ex. wet pond, dry pond, Low Impact Development);
  • Installation, modification or replacement of Manufactured Treatment Devices (ex. oil-grit separators)
  • Installation, modification or replacement of super pipe/storage facilities; and
  • Installation, modification or replacement of third pipe collection systems.

Private Sanitary Sewage and Stormwater Management System Alterations

You do not need to apply for a CLI-ECA alteration for privately owned sewage works on private owned land.

For these projects, you may still need an ECA from the MECP. For more information on ECA’s visit the Ministry’s Guide to applying for an environmental compliance approval. The applicant must do their due diligence to ensure applications are prepared and submitted as required and all required approvals are received before proceeding with any alteration.

Before you apply for an alteration

If you are a developer or prescribed person, you must determine whether your project meets the requirements for pre-authorized alterations or if you are required to make a Schedule C amendment to the existing CLI ECA.

To make any additions, modifications, replacements or extensions to the municipal sanitary sewage collection or stormwater system, alterations must either be:

  • pre-authorized alterations under the conditions in Schedule D of the City’s CLI ECA
  • approved by a Schedule C amendment to the municipality’s CLI ECA

Applicable development projects must go through the City’s Development Review Process, which is administered by the City’s Planning Department.

Supporting documentation related to applicable development projects must be submitted to the Development Engineering Division of the Planning Department for detailed review and approval prior to making an application for approval of alterations authorized under the City’s Environmental Compliance Approvals or Drinking Water Works Permit. Do not make an application until all outstanding issues identified through the Development Review Process have been addressed.

What you need for your application

If you are requesting alterations to more than one municipal system, i.e. Drinking Water, Sanitary Sewage Collection or Stormwater Management System, you must submit separate application packages for each, including cover letters.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the most recent version of the MECP’s form(s) is used, as well as ensuring all applicable guidelines, design standards, and specifications available at the time of design of an alteration are utilized to demonstrate compliance.

All drawings and form(s) must be signed (electronic signatures are accepted and preferred) and sealed by the Licensed Engineering Practitioner responsible for design of the alteration(s). Maps and drawings must be to-scale.

All submissions must include digital copies of the documents outlined below, where applicable, in addition to specific documents required for the alteration type:

  • Cover letter (City template available)
  • Stamped Engineering Drawings, including the following at a minimum:
    • Title page with Key Plan;
    • Legal Plan, Site Plan and General Plans;
    • Plan And Profile Drawings, Details Drawings, Grading Plans, Existing Conditions and Removals Drawings;
    • Erosion Sediment Control Plans (ESC), as per Appendix A of the City’s Stormwater ECA;
  • Detailed technical specifications;
  • Project Design Brief/Report;
  • Associated technical documents/ and reports (ex. Stormwater Management Report, Hydrogeological and Geotechnical Reports, etc.);
  • Source Protection Supplementary Report, where applicable; and
  • Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) consultation and clearance, where applicable.

Please contact Environmental_Approvals@brantford.ca for copies of the application forms and templates.

Drinking Water System Alteration Application Specific Requirements
Sanitary Sewage Collection System Alteration Application Specific Requirements
  • CLI ECA Sanitary Sewage Alteration Application;
  • MECP Record of Future Alteration Form(s);
    • Form A1– for discharging a contaminant of concern to the atmosphere;
    • Form SS1– for alterations to sanitary sewers such as gravity sanitary collection and forcemains, including maintenance holes, service laterals and drop structures, siphons (inverted or other);
    • Form SS2– for alterations to components of the collection system such as pumping stations, real time control systems, emergency power generators, odour control units, corrosion control units.
  • Sanitary sewer design sheets and drainage area plans;
  • MECP Pipe Data Form;
  • Inspection and Testing Plan, as outlined in the MECP design criteria;
  • Sewage Pumping Station Design Report, where applicable; and
  • Any other requirements as outlined in the Sanitary Sewage Collection System CLI ECA, or as requested by Staff.
Stormwater Collection System Alteration Application Specific Requirements 
  • CLI ECA SWM Alteration Application;
  • MECP Record of Future Alteration Form(s);
    • SW1 – for alterations to storm sewers, conveyance ditches/swales or culverts including catchbasins, maintenance holes, and grates;
    • SW2 – for alterations to stormwater management facilities such as oil grit separators, low impact development, wet ponds, dry ponds, superpipe/storage facilities;
    • SW3 – for alteration of a third pipe collection system.
  • Stormwater Management Report;
  • Stormwater Monitoring Plans;
  • Storm sewer design sheets and drainage area plans;
  • MECP Pipe Data Form;
  • Inspection and Testing Plan, as outlined in the MECP design criteria;
  • Any other requirements as outlined in the Stormwater Management System CLI ECA, or as requested by Staff.
Application Fees

Applicants are required to submit an Application Review Fee in accordance with the City’s current Fees & Charges By-law.

Upon receipt of an application for approval of alterations authorized under the City’s Environmental Compliance Approvals or Drinking Water Works Permit, the City will provide the applicant with an invoice.

Invoices can be paid by:

  • Cheque payable to ‘The Corporation of the City of Brantford’
    Delivered by hand or mail to:

    City Hall
    58 Dalhousie Street
    N3T 6L6, PO Box 515
  • Cash or Credit Card payments made in person at the City; or
  • Electronic Funds Transfer; or
  • Online using the Online Invoice Payment System.

Submit your application

Submit the completed application package to Environmental_Approval@brantford.ca.

Upon approval, applicants will be provided with a response letter and executed record of future alteration form.

Approval timelines

The processing time for complete alteration applications is estimated to be between four to twelve weeks, depending on complexity and staff availability.

For less complex and single infrastructure submissions (for example linear pipes), the review and authorization process should be less than 6 weeks.

For more complex projects (e.g., stormwater facilities, pumping stations), the review and authorization could take up to 12 weeks.

Incomplete or inaccurate applications that result in requests for additional information, or fees not paid on time, can delay the approval. Processing times may increase during the peak construction season.

Questions

If you have any questions about making an application for City approval of pre-authorized alterations, send us an email.