The City of Vaughan is committed to protecting and respecting our environment and fostering a sustainable community today and for future generations. By acting as environmental stewards, the community can do its part to preserve the natural environment while using environmental protection principles in every initiative undertaken.
Initiatives the City is currently undertaking to combat litter and waste across Vaughan include:
It is extremely important that everyday items such as hygiene products, wipes and waste do not get flushed or poured down either system. The City of Vaughan’s sanitary sewer system is not designed to dispose of anything beyond human waste, toilet paper and wastewater. Flushing any other materials down the drains at home can result in:
New home purchases from the builder (excluding custom-built homes)
New homeowners of homes bought from a builder can use Service Vaughan to have their prepaid items delivered to their home. This does not apply to custom-built homes and condo townhomes that pay property maintenance fees to a property manager.
These include:
The City of Vaughan introduced the Back-water Valve Subsidy Installation
program to assist owners with the cost of installing an approved back-water valve. The City will cover up to a maximum of $750 including eligible labour, materials, permit fees and taxes. Keep in mind that the back-water valve must be installed by a certified plumber.
What is a sewer backup?
A sewage blockage can create a backup on private property. It is the result of wastewater no longer able to leave the property through the sanitary lateral pipe that is connected to the City of Vaughan sewer, usually due to a blockage. This results in wastewater backing up into your property.
After rain or snowfall, the water left behind on roads, sidewalks, grass and pathways is called “stormwater.” In natural areas, this water is ordinarily absorbed into the ground by plants and soil. However, pavement and other hard surfaces – such as driveways, sidewalks and roofs – prevent this absorption, leading to water pooling or flooding.
There are two different sewer systems in Vaughan:
Sanitary sewers collect wastewater that leaves homes or buildings through a drain, such as toilets, sinks, washers or showers and help move it to the wastewater treatment facilities in Durham Region and Peel Region. From there, wastewater is treated before it is released into Lake Ontario. Maintenance access holes are the City’s access points to the sanitary sewer system on the road.
Want to learn more?
PLANit Viewer: A user-friendly tool that allows people to search and view information about proposed developments within the City of Vaughan:
Before beginning renovations to add a new or upgrade an existing secondary suite, homeowners should,
Please note in accordance with 7.6.3.1 of Division B, of the Ontario Building Code, there may be a requirement to upgrade the water distribution piping system.
Christmas tree collection
During the first two weeks of January, the City will collect real Christmas trees in both blue and yellow zones on your scheduled collection day. Artificial trees are collected as garbage and must be bagged.
For the safety of the City’s waste collectors, keep these tips in mind:
