Project 22-1340 A

Watermain rehabilitation and improvement

Streets affected: Torbram Road from Steeles Avenue East to Balmoral Drive.

Project updates

Construction work starting in your area

Peel Region will be working in your area to clean and rehabilitate the watermain along Torbram Road, as shown on the attached map. Watermains are underground pipes that bring tap water from our water treatment plants to your area. As pipes age and our population grows, we need to replace or rehabilitate older watermains to keep providing you with high quality water.

Construction schedule

Construction is planned to begin the week of July 22, 2024 and be completed by the end of October 2024. These timelines are estimates, as weather and other unexpected events may impact our timelines. All work is under warranty for two years from the completion date.

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What to expect during construction

In the first few weeks, the Region's contractor will move equipment on-site and prepare the work area before construction begins. Construction crews will then:

Excavate pits in the road to access the watermain.
Install a temporary water supply system and attach your house/building to the supply.
Clean and structurally re-line the existing watermain.
Replace water services up to the property line.
Remove the temporary water supply and restore all work areas with asphalt, concrete or grass.

Learn what to expect during watermain construction by watching our short video. The video goes behind the scenes to show what happens before, during and after construction. This website also answers common questions about:

Why your water may be temporarily shut off,
How traffic, parking, and waste collection may be affected,
How driveways, roads and sod (grass) are repaired after construction is finished.

Temporary watermain

During construction, your home/business will receive water through an above-ground temporary piping network (by-pass) installed along the curb, sidewalk, or boulevard. A hose attached to the temporary by-pass will connect to a "Y" connector via the outside hose tap of your house or connected directly to your underground service at property line for larger water services. This allows you to receive water in your home or business.

The temporary water supply network and the rehabilitated water main will be disinfected prior to hook up to your home/business in accordance with the Region of Peel’s Disinfection of Water Main procedures.

Contractor and working hours

The work will be completed by Fer Pal Infrastructure under contract to Peel Region. This contractor’s normal working hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. These hours are consistent with the local municipality's bylaws. We understand this may cause some inconvenience, but shorter working days would require your area to be under construction for a longer period of time.

Traffic and Parking

We may need to temporarily close roads or reduce traffic to a single lane during construction. If we must reroute traffic, we will place signs giving directions. On-street parking will be reduced during construction when we are actively working on your street.

Interrupting your water supply

We anticipate that this construction project will require temporarily shutting off your water.

For residents:

It is our goal to let you know 48 hours (2 days) in advance if we plan to shut off your water for an extended period (several hours). Occasionally we may have to reduce this notice to 24 hours.
If we need to shut off your water for a short duration (less than one hour), we will knock on your door to notify you.
If we must shut off your water due to an emergency, we will knock on your door to alert you, and do everything we can to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

For businesses:

If we must shut off your water due to an emergency, we will knock on your door to alert you, and do everything we can to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

Areas impacted by construction

Rehabilitating watermains usually requires digging a trench within the municipal right-of-way, which includes the street and the land owned by the municipality between the water service box and the street. (The water service box is a small, round, metal valve located outside on the property line between your home/business and the road.) Depending on the location of the watermain, this trench might cause temporary damage to roads, curbs, sidewalks, boulevards, lawns, and the bottom of driveways within the municipal right-of-way.

To maintain your water supply, Peel Region will also replace:

Your water service box.
The section of your water service pipe leading from the watermain to your water service box. The water service pipe carries water from the watermain to your home or business.

This requires digging up your water service box located in the lawn or driveway, and disturbing an area at least two square meters.

We therefore recommend that you delay any driveway paving or major landscaping projects until this construction work is completed. Any damage caused by Peel Region's construction will be repaired.

In-ground sprinkler systems

As the front lawn may be affected by this construction work, if you have an in-ground sprinkler system we strongly recommend moving any sprinkler lines that are located in the municipal right-of-way or next to the sidewalk. If you can't relocate these sprinkler lines, please send us a map created by your irrigation contractor or flag each sprinkler head that is located within one meter of the sidewalk, curb, or driveway. This will allow us to minimize the impact to your sprinkler system.

Tree trimming

If tree branches within the municipal right-of-way interfere with construction, the trees will be pruned beforehand.

If tree branches on private property interfere with construction, they will be pruned back to the nearest suitable trunk or branch. The contractor will contact you before any pruning of private trees occurs. If you do not allow personnel onto your property to trim the tree, the branches will be cut vertically at the property line.

Repairing areas impacted by construction

We will start repairing the road, curb, sidewalk, driveways, and lawns once the new watermain is buried and new water service pipes have been connected to all properties on your street.

Repairs may be delayed due to contractor availability or certain seasonal weather conditions.

For example:

Paving cannot take place when the ground is saturated with water, or the temperature is below 3°C.
Asphalt is not available in large volumes during the winter. Asphalt usually becomes available around mid-May.
Most sod farms are located north of Peel. They usually have sod available beginning in late May. We will replace the sod on your property once it is available. We replace sod only until the middle of November, weather permitting, to let the sod grow roots. If we do not repair your lawn by the middle of November, we’ll replace the sod the following spring.

Repairing grassy areas

The contractor will replace any damaged sod (grass) on the boulevard or your front lawn and will take care of the new sod for 30 days. You can help the sod stay healthy by watering it. A longer 'deep root watering' works better to establish new sod than watering more frequently for a shorter time. Watering in the early morning allows more water to soak in instead of evaporating.

Repairing driveways

Asphalt driveways: If we need to cut a section of your driveway, the driveway will be repaired by paving a stripe over the disturbed area, resulting in minimal seams in the final driveway. Peel Region cannot replace your entire driveway. If you would like to have the rest of your driveway paved, please contact the contractor, Fer Pal Infrastructure at. The contractor will then share contact information for the company hired to do the paving repairs. Please remember this is your option. If you decide to have your entire driveway repaved, this extra paving work is your responsibility and outside the jurisdiction of Peel Region.

Driveway access

It may be necessary to block your driveway for a short time when crews are digging the trench for the watermain, replacing your water service box and pipe, or completing other construction activities. If so, we will knock on your door to notify you. If a trench prevents access to your driveway, the contractor will have metal road plates available to allow access if required. Whenever possible, we will work to ensure businesses can be accessed. Please contact us if you have special needs related to access.

Waste collection

If you receive waste collection from Peel Region, your garbage, recycling, and organics will continue to be picked up on your regularly scheduled day. It is the contractor's responsibility to move your garbage, recycling, and organics bins from the end of your driveway to a location where waste collection vehicles can pick them up. Empty containers will be returned to their corresponding addresses. Please make sure your house number is clearly marked on each bin. This helps us return empty bins to the correct address.

Vibrations

You could feel slight vibrations from the construction work.

Private-side water service replacement

We are replacing the section of the water service pipe that leads from the watermain to your water service box (small round metal valve near the property line). The privately-owned section of the water service pipe (between the service box and your home/business) is likely the same age and in the same condition. You may want to consider replacing it to ensure a constant supply of high-quality drinking water to your tap. Replacing the private-side water service pipe is the responsibility of the property owner. Peel Region cannot do this work for you.

Safety during construction

Construction zones require extra caution to keep everyone safe - pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and construction workers. When driving, walking, or biking through the construction area, please be aware of your surroundings, watch for construction crews and other road users, slow down, account for delays, and consider other routes if possible. To learn more about how to stay safe in construction zones.

Keeping you informed

We will let you know if there are any major changes to the plans.

We value your feedback

After we have finished, we will invite you to provide feedback on the construction project. You can sign up to receive this survey electronically.

Thank you for your patience as we complete this necessary work. This work will allow us to continue providing you with high quality tap water. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Water Linear Engineering
Engineering Services Division
Public Works, Peel Region
Email: construction@peelregion.ca
Phone: 905-791-7800 ext. 4409