Water and Sewage

Water and wastewater operations and maintenance are the responsibility of the Municipality of Highlands East. These services are managed by operations staff certified to operate within the Province of Ontario.

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Water and Wastewater Operations

Certified Municipal staff operate and maintain:

Water and Wastewater treatment facilities (including lagoons)
Sewage Pump Stations
Distribution System Water Mains
Collection System Sewers
Fire hydrants, water main valves and other appurtenances

Fees

Water and Sewer Fees
Service	Fee
Residential Water Rate	$825.02 per year
Commercial Water Rates	$3.73 per 1,000 Gallons up to 50,000 Gallons per month $3.12 per 1,000 Gallons for 50,001 and 150,000 Gallons per month $2.86 per 1,000 Gallons above 150,000 Gallons per month
Five-eighths to one-inch Meter Service	$2.00 per month
One and one-quarter to two-inch Meter Service	$5.00 per month
Residential Sewer Rate	$518.69 per year
New Building Charge	$825.02 one time charge to connect to existing water and sewer
Turn water on and off at request of homeowner	$40 per service with the exception of shutdowns to repair shutoff valve inside home
Repair of plugged sewer connection on municipal land adjacent to the homeowner's property	Cost split equally between owner and municipality

Interest will be charged on overdue water and sewer service charges at the rate of 1.25% per month and will be imposed on the first day of default and on the first day of each and every calendar month thereafter in which default continues.

Water

Municipal Operations staff ensure safe drinking water is supplied to residents in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and all associated Regulations. Accreditation of Municipal Drinking Water Systems in Ontario is required and is achieved when all requirements of the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Management Standard are met.

The Municipality operates three municipal drinking water systems including Cardiff DWS, Dyno Estates DWS and Wilberforce DWS as well as several small systems throughout the Municipality including:

Highland Grove Community Centre/Library
Wilberforce Library
Wilberforce Well Supply
Gooderham Building Department/Library
Gooderham Fire Hall/Public Washroom
Gooderham Community Centre

In accordance with Ontario Regulation 170/03, the Municipality shall prepare and submit an annual performance report to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MOECP) for both the Cardiff and Dyno water systems to ensure compliance. The facilities operate under the direction of the operational plan.

In order to comply with Ontario Regulation 453/07, under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Municipality shall develop a financial plan for two Drinking Water Systems in Highlands East. A multi-facility six year plan has been implemented for the Cardiff & Dyno Estates Drinking Water Systems.

Municipal Water Usage

Our Water Usage By-law is in effect every year from June 1 to September 1 and applies to residents connected to the municipal water supply in Cardiff and Bicroft Heights.

By following the By-law, you help to reduce peak water use and limit the risk of an outdoor watering ban.

Restrictions

While the Water Usage By-law is in effect, municipally supplied water may be used outdoors only between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on alternating days as follows:

Even numbered addresses may use water outdoors on even numbered days.
Odd numbered addresses may use water outdoors on odd numbered days.

Exemption requests

If you require an exemption to these restrictions, such as needing to fill your swimming pool, please make a request by emailing our Environmental Supervisor at least seven days beforehand. Be sure to include your name, address, contact number, the reason for your request and when you will need to use the water.

Fines and additional information

Penalties apply for failing to follow our by-law. Please read the full Water Usage By-law for more information.

Water Sample Service and Drop off Information

Bacteriological testing of your private well supply is offered through the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit, free of charge.

For more information please visit the Water Sample Service page.

Source Water Protection Plans

The Trent Source Protection Plan was approved by the Ministry on October 23, 2014. The Source Protection Plan (SPP) was prepared by the Trent Conservation Coalition and comprised the source protection areas of Crowe Valley, Kawartha-Haliburton, Lower Trent and Otonabee-Peterborough.

Source Protection Plans are authorized by the Clean Water Act, and their purpose is to protect existing and future drinking water sources and to eliminate threats to drinking water.

The Cardiff drinking water system and the Dyno Estates drinking water system fall within the source protection area of Crowe Valley.

For further information, please visit the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority website and the Trent Conservation Coalition website.

Wastewater

In order to protect the natural environment Municipal operations staff routinely operate & maintain the wastewater treatment system components/infrastructure. All required sample parameters set out in the current ECA have been met for the past several years. Municipal wastewater collection and treatment is carried out within the Cardiff town site at the Sewage Pump Station and Sewage Lagoon System prior to being discharged into the natural environment.

In accordance with Condition 9 (5) of Certificate of Approval No. 1604-5RPQY4 an Annual Performance Report for the Lagoon shall be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MOECP).