Standing Water By-law

The City of Vaughan’s Standing Water By-law contributes to the health and safety of Vaughan communities, while strengthening the City’s ability to prevent and address health and safety concerns in a timely manner.

About the by-law

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

Standing or stagnant water can contribute to a number of serious infectious diseases. Standing water is an attractive breeding ground for mosquitoes and pathogens (e.g. viruses, bacteria). Mosquitoes can transmit diseases, such as Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, Encephalitis, Malaria, West Nile, Yellow Fever and the Zika Virus, to humans through their bite. There are also a number of pathogens that can breed in stagnant water, such as typhoid, dysentery and cholera. Preventing or removing standing water helps reduce the risk of these water-borne illnesses.

Enforcement

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

Read the full Standing Water By-law (PDF) to learn more.

Complaints

You can report standing water on private property.

Make a complaint