Drainage and Grading

Overview

Adequate property drainage and grading practises are key to preventing costly water damages to buildings and foundations.

What you should know?

The City's Property Standards By-law 7887/21 requires that all downspouts and sump pumps are to drain onto the property they originate from. It is acceptable for water to flow onto neighbouring properties if the flow is consequential due to the lay of the land or the grade.

It is your responsibility as a resident to ensure your property is adequately protected from storm water.

Additional land is excavated surrounding the foundation of a home when it is first built. Upon completion, the area is then backfilled with soil which is looser than the settled soil further away from the foundation. Over time, as the loose soil settles, a small channel will form around the foundation. Adding additional soil to this channel helps to level it out, which ensures that the land surrounding your home is sloped slightly away from the foundation to keep water running away from your home.

Contact us if your home is less than 5 years old and you have concerns regarding grading and drainage.  Email City Development or call 905.420.4617.

Generally, the land between houses is graded to create a small channel that feeds storm water to either the front or back of the lot. Gardens located along fence lines often impede these channels and can cause drainage concerns for you and your neighbour, therefore gardens should be located away from neighbouring property lines.

A General Guide

• rain and melted snow on the roof are collected by the eaves troughs and channelled to the ground by downspouts
• downspouts may be connected into your homes weeping tile, or may drain directly onto your property (properties with sump pumps should consider disconnecting their downspouts from the weeping tile)
• downspouts that are disconnected from the weeping tile should run into an extension pipe and/or splash pad to keep the water moving away from your home

Resources

• Lot Drainage Diagram [PDF]