Standing Water By-law

The City's Standing Water By-law prohibits property owners from allowing standing water to accumulate on their properties between April and October, except on agricultural lands involved in farming.

If there are insects breeding in accumulated water, the property owner may also be directed to treat the water with insecticides.

If someone is not compliant with the by-law and does not comply with an order from the City, the City may perform the work and charge the property owner.

For more information, you can read the full by-law in the By-law Library.

Stagnant water can be a dangerous breeding ground for disease

As explained by the World Health Organization, stagnant or ‘standing’ water can contribute to a number of serious infectious diseases. Standing water is a common breeding ground for mosquitoes and various pathogens, which are “disease vectors”, i.e., they can transmit diseases, which in this case, happens when a mosquito bites someone. Examples of infectious diseases that can be transmitted by mosquitoes include Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, Encephalitis, Malaria, West Nile, Yellow Fever and the Zika Virus. As well, there are a number of pathogens known to breed well in stagnant water, such as typhoid, dysentery, and cholera. The Regional Municipality of York also confirms that there have been cases of the West Nile virus in the region, with 8 cases in the City in 2025.

Mosquitoes are one of the most dangerous animals in the world

The World Health Organizations estimates that vector-borne diseases kill 700,000 people annually, with vectors such as mosquitoes, transmitting parasites, bacteria and viruses. Mosquitoes spread Malaria, which is estimated to cause 249 million cases annually, resulting in 608,000 deaths. Another mosquito-spread disease is Dengue Fever, which is estimated to kill 40,000 people annually. Other disease vectors aside from mosquitoes include ticks and flies, however mosquitoes are linked to the most deaths by far. According to the organization Climate Atlas of Canada, the range of mosquitoes in Canada has been expanding due to warmer temperatures combined with precipitation, increasing 10% over the last 20 years, thus putting Canadians more at risk.

The City’s Standing Water By-law helps reduce the risk of water-borne illnesses

As mentioned above, the City of Vaughan (the City), like many governments around the world, has a by-law, the Standing Water By-law, which requires property owners to clear stagnant water from their properties, and in some cases, treat standing water with larvicides to kill mosquito and other insects that are breeding.

The intent of the by-law is to continue to contribute to the health and safety of Vaughan communities, strengthening the City’s ability to prevent and address these health and safety concerns in a timely manner. The City also collaborates with the Regional Municipality of York in similar activities that they conduct on public property.

Read the full by-law

To read the full City of Vaughan Standing Water By-law and any amending by-laws, please visit the By-law Library.