A Toronto Water backflow notice asks for a survey, an installation or a filed test report. Here is the 30-day plan, what to gather, who to call and what closes it.
The envelope from Toronto Water is on your desk. It cites Chapter 851, gives you a deadline and uses the phrase “cross-connection control”. You have a building to run and no idea whether this is a form, a plumbing job or both.
Quick answer
- A Toronto backflow notice asks for one of three things: a cross-connection control survey, installation of a device, or a test with the report filed.
- Read the deadline first. The notice stays open until a passing report is filed online with Toronto Water, and only a certified Cross Connection Control Specialist can produce one.
- Enforcement is administrative, but ignoring the notice escalates it, and the by-law provides for penalties and water-service measures for continued non-compliance.
- Most notices can be surveyed, tested and filed within the same week.
- Questions about the letter itself go to Toronto Water at 416-394-8888 or backflow@toronto.ca.
What is the City of Toronto actually asking me to do?
One of three things, and the letter tells you which. Under the Water Supply By-law (Chapter 851), Toronto Water sends notices to industrial, commercial, institutional and larger multi-unit residential properties, and the request is a survey, an installation or a test report.
| Notice type | What it means | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| Survey request | A certified specialist must inspect the property for cross-connections and report which devices are required. | Cross Connection Control Specialist |
| Install notice | A survey found a hazard without protection. A device must be installed under a building permit, then tested. | Licensed plumber plus certified tester |
| Test or report notice | A device exists but no passing report for the past 12 months is on file. | Certified tester |
If the wording is unclear, the Toronto by-law guide explains the categories, or send us a photo of the letter.
What should I do in the first 30 days?
Treat the notice as a project with one owner and one deadline. Most of this sequence is finished by the end of week one.
- Read the deadline and the notice type. Note the compliance date and whether the letter asks for a survey, an install or a test. Put the date in your calendar today.
- Gather what you have. Previous test reports, device tags, the mechanical room location and the account or file number printed on the letter.
- Call a certified tester the same day. Only a Cross Connection Control Specialist can survey or test, and only their report can be filed. Send them the letter so they can book the right visit.
- Book the visit. A survey or test on a typical commercial property is a single visit. You do not need to shut the building down.
- Approve repairs or installation if needed. If a device fails or is missing, you receive a fixed quote before any work. New installations and replacements need a building permit first.
- Confirm the report is filed online. Toronto accepts reports only through its online Backflow Prevention Device Test Report form. Ask for the confirmation and a copy for your file.
- Speak to Toronto Water if the date is tight. If the work cannot finish before the deadline, contact them before the date, not after, and show them the booking.
Ignoring the notice escalates it. The property stays non-compliant until a passing report is on file, and the by-law provides for penalties and water-service measures for continued non-compliance. The cheapest outcome is always the first deadline.
Holding a notice right now? Send us a photo of the letter and we’ll tell you the same day what it needs. Testing is $350 for a single device including the filing; surveys and installs are quoted fixed before booking. Call (647) 578-9903 or request a quote.
What should I have ready before the tester arrives?
The notice itself, access to the device and anything that proves history. The more you hand over up front, the shorter the visit and the cleaner the filing.
- The notice, with its account or file number
- Any previous test reports or photos of the device tags
- Location of the water entry, meter and mechanical room, plus keys or a contact who can open them
- Location of the fire sprinkler line, if there is one; it usually carries its own device
- Name and number of the person who can approve a repair on the spot
- Tenant contact if the device sits inside leased space
What closes the notice?
A passing test report filed with Toronto Water for every device the notice covers. Nothing else does it: not the invoice, not the tag, not a verbal assurance from the plumber. The property owner is responsible for making sure the report is filed, even when a contractor does the work.
For a survey notice, the survey report goes to the City first and any devices it calls for are then installed and tested. Our guide to how the Toronto test report works covers what the form contains and how to get a copy of a past filing.
Keep the proof: save the filing confirmation alongside the notice. If the City’s records lag, that confirmation settles the matter in one email.
Why did my property get a notice when the one next door didn’t?
Because Toronto’s program is premises-based and survey-driven. Chapter 851 covers industrial, commercial and institutional properties, Part 3 residential buildings under the Ontario Building Code, construction sites, and any property identified through a cross-connection control survey. Most single-family homes are exempt unless they have an irrigation system, a pool or a specific notice.
A change of use, a new tenant with process water or a fire line added during a renovation is often what put your address on the list.
Backflow Inspector, a service of MT Drains & Plumbing, closes Toronto notices every week: survey, test, repair under one fixed quote, and the report filed with Toronto Water on your behalf. Outside the city? Our by-town guide shows who sends the notice where you are.
Quick answers
Got a notice? We can close it this week
Send us a photo of the letter and we’ll survey, test, repair and file with Toronto Water under one fixed quote — $350 for a single-device test, including the report.