Wastewater Services

There has been an increased use of cleaning products. Wastewater Treatment Operators at the Town of Collingwood have noticed single-use “flushable” wipes, paper towels, gloves, and other items in the sanitary system. These items are clogging up Town sewers and pumps because they were never meant to go down the drain. 

Wipes, paper towels, and gloves do not break down like toilet paper. They can cause damage to the Town sewer system and even cause a sewer back-up in homes. Although the packaging indicates “flushable”, these wipes do not break down and cause a serious backlog. Not only does this cause damage to the Town’s infrastructure, but it is also putting Wastewater Treatment Operators at risk. The equipment must be fully shut down, removed from service, cleaned, repaired, or replaced. This takes a lot of time, taking operators away from other essential duties and creates an added financial burden on the Town. This is not just the Town’s problem; these same items can clog the plumbing in your home, requiring expensive repairs.

So where do you put these non-flushable/ “flushable” items? Gloves and non-flushable/ “flushable” wipes (e.g., baby wipes, cleaning wipes) go in the garbage, while paper towels, and even fats, oils, and grease go in the green bin. Not down the drain! An easy way to remember what goes down the toilet is #1, #2, and TP (toilet paper) only.  

Please share the message “Only Flush Toilet Paper” so that we can keep our essential services up and running! 

A municipal sanitary sewer system is a system of underground pipes that transport sanitary sewage from the plumbing of privately owned buildings to the Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The sewer line that carries wastewater from the sanitary fixtures (sink, toilet, tub) and floor drains inside your home or business to the Town's sewer main is called a sewer lateral.  As per the Sewer Use By-law, the property owner owns and is responsible for maintaining the sewer lateral from inside the building to the point where it connects with the Town's sewer main.

Here are the steps to take when faced with a sewer blockage:

1.  Check the toilets and sinks and clear any blockages
2. Call for Help

If that does not solve the problem, call for help.  The homeowner should contact a private service provider, such as a plumber, to identify the issue and remove the blockage.

Homeowners also have the option to call Public Works at 705-445-1030 for assistance where service fees are applicable as per the 2025 Fees and Service Charges By-Law.

• $225.00 / hour
• $750.00 (minimum 3h call out) after 4pm Monday-Friday, Saturday and Sunday

3. Locate the sewer cleanout and ensure access

The home’s sewer cleanout must be located and accessible.  Please provide a clear path to the cleanout and make sure it is fully exposed to allow specialized machinery to be used.

4. Call for a Sewer Safety Inspection

Before doing any work beyond the outside walls of the building, contact  Ontario One Call ON1Call 1-800-400-2255 for a Sewer Safety Inspection so Enbridge Gas can eliminate the potential of a gas line conflict with your sewer lateral. The Inspection is provided at no cost to the homeowner.  If the Town is performing the work, they will look after arranging for the sewer safety inspection.

5. Avoid Using Your Plumbing

Avoid flushing toilets and using the sink, tub and shower drains until the source of the sewer backup has been corrected.

6.  Replacement or Repair of a Failed Sewer Lateral

If the blockage is not able to be cleared, depending on the location of the blockage (private property or Town property), the owner or Public Works may need to excavate so that the sewer lateral can be repaired or replaced.  The homeowner is responsible financially for the maintenance, replacement or repair of a failed sewer lateral on both private and Town property.

(a) Private Property - if the required work falls within the area from the building to the property line (private property), the homeowner can make their own arrangements to repair or replace the section on private property without the involvement of the Town. Contact Building Services for Building Permit requirements. When the sewer lateral at the property line has been exposed we would ask that you contact Public Works in order that the Town can confirm that the section within the roadway is clear. 

(b) Town Property - where the failure occurs in the portion of the sewer lateral between the property line and the sewer main (Town property), the repair work must be undertaken by Public Works.

• Fees - the cost for replacement is 50% of time and materials to a maximum of $6,000.00 as per By-law 2020-015.
• Authorization for Work – the homeowner will need to authorize the work by signing a Work Order prepared by Public Works.
• Locates - Public Works will arrange for locations to identify any underground infrastructure in the dig area.
• Repair / Replacement – Public Works will complete the repair or replacement of the sewer lateral.
• Invoice – following completion, the homeowner will receive an invoice for the works.

Both Private and Town Property – if replacement or repairs are needed on both private and Town property, the work on the Town section would take place after your install and would follow the same steps as in (b).

What can cause a sewer blockage?

The most common cause of backed up drains or basement flooding in a home is a blockage in the sewer lateral connecting the home to the sanitary sewer on the street.

This is most commonly caused by:

• tree roots growing into the sewer line;
• too much fat, oil or grease buildup in the sewer line;
• improper disposal of items such as rags, wipes, toys, garbage, diapers, sanitary napkins, etc.;
• structural concerns such as breaks and collapse of old deteriorated sanitary sewer lines.

In the rare event of a sewage overflow or wastewater bypass, visit this page for updates.