Permit Library › Municipal: City of Toronto › Toronto Water & Engineering & Construction Services › Sewer discharge (dewatering)
Private Water Discharge Permit: Short Term (construction dewatering)
Permit to discharge private water to City storm or sanitary/combined sewers, generally for 1 year or less [TO].
You need it when: You pump groundwater, runoff or precipitation into City sewers during construction.
Why it's needed
- Required for construction dewatering discharged to City sewers.
When to apply
- Submit complete applications 8–12 weeks before the discharge start date [TO].
- On some large public infrastructure projects a two-stage process is used: the owner confirms allowable discharge early (Stage 1) and the contractor finalizes it (Stage 2) [Guide].
Review time
Plan for about 30 business days.
Documents for a complete application
- Private Water Discharge Approval Application: Form 1 (contacts) + Form 2 (short-term discharge) with both checklists [TO form 15-0040]
- Private Water Discharge Approval Application form [TO]
- Hydrogeological report: maximum discharge rate, volume and period
- Water quality analysis vs Sewers By-law (Ch. 681) limits; treatment system design
- Disposal/storage contingency plan; watertightness letter by a P.Eng.
- Discharge location plan
Submission checklists
How to submit
- Email pwapplication@toronto.ca (Toronto Water Environmental Monitoring & Protection) [TO].
Fees
Storm: no fee (stricter limits). Sanitary/combined: volume-based fee [TO].
Often needed first
Forms and guides
- Private Water Discharge Approval Application (construction dewatering) (City of Toronto, application form)
- Foundation Drainage Guidelines (City of Toronto, guide)
Official pages
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Sources are marked in the text: [TO] toronto.ca pages, [Guide] general industry guidance, [Plan] permit planning practice. Confirm on the official page before applying.