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Sewers
The following is a brief and legal summary of the City of Markham's Sewers and Dumping By-law taken from the City's By-law Guide for Markham Homeowners.
It explains, in plain language and with information links, what residents must know about specific City services and operations, which may affect a Markham homeowners' property.
Sewers and Dumping By-law Summary
In Brief
The cleanliness of our streets and properties contributes to everyone’s health. Our City protects citizens with some simple guidelines about dumping. Sanitary sewer discharge is regulated by both the City (by-law 436-86) and the Region of York (By-law S-0064-2005-009).
What You Must Know
Sanitary Sewers
All homes located in areas serviced by the City’s sanitary sewer system must have their sinks, toilets and tubs hooked up to drain into municipal sewers.
Some guidelines to keep our sewer system working effectively, include:
- do not pour grease or cooking oil down drains
- do not pour any noxious chemicals or liquids down drains
- use of an in-sink garbage disposal system is not permitted; do not pour any garbage down drains.
Storm Sewers and Ditches
Our sewer system also helps drain off water from storms, car washings, pools and spring thaws. But those open grates on your street are not to be used to dump anything else. You must not drain any sewage or hazardous waste (such as poisonous, flammable or corrosive liquids) directly into a sewer, ditch or a natural outlet such as a stream or river.
Hazardous waste must be taken to the York Region Household Hazardous Waste Depot, located south of Miller Avenue on Rodick Road. It’s open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, 08:30 AM to 4:30 PM (except federal and provincial holidays.)
In our City, it is unlawful to dump or store garbage of any kind, including hazardous waste or human or animal waste, on public or private land, or within any buildings. Garbage may only be dumped into authorized landfill sites.
Landowners who wish to cover over garbage or waste that they have on their property must contact the City of Markham at 905-415-7535 for instructions about doing this properly. Anyone violating this by-law may be fined up to $2,000 and will be required to clean up the site or building at his/her own expense. See Site Alteration By-law Summary for information about protecting drainage on your property.
Step By Step
Sewers and Dumping
The Director, Operations, or any person authorized by him/her, may, at all times and without hindrance, enter and inspect land or structures in the City for the purposes of enforcing the Dumping By-law (126-72).
Employees of the City may enter private property for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing in accordance with the Sewer By-law (436-86).
When in doubt, check it out! Help is always available.
For more information call the By-law Enforcement and Licensing Department at 905-479-7782 or email customerservice@markham.ca.