The City's Private Lead Water Service Replacement Program

Applicants must meet all of the following conditions to be considered for the program and will no longer be eligible if they do not meet the eligibility criteria. 

To be eligible, applicants must:

1. Own a Residential Property within the geographical limits of the City,
2. Have a Private Lead Water Service connected to the City’s municipal water distribution system.
3. Have a Private Galvanized Water Service connected to the City’s municipal water distribution system. 
   • Galvanized pipes are iron or steel pipes that have been dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. Galvanized piping was commonly installed in homes built before 1960 as an alternative to lead service lines. Decades of water exposure cause the interior of galvanized pipes to corrode/rust and allow mineral deposits, such as lead, to accumulate within the piping. As old and corroded galvanized pipes age, they can release accumulated lead into your tap water.
4. Be the Owner of the Residential Property for which the Application is submitted.
5. Be in good standing with the City, including, without limitation, the property tax account, water and sewer account, and all other accounts for the Residential Property.
6. Be proposing to replace the Private Lead Water Service or Private Galvanized Water Service with a Private Water Service of copper or other material approved by the General Manager.

NOTE: If a change in ownership has occurred at a Residential Property, the new Owner will have the right to apply to the program, even if the previous owner became disqualified or did not want to participate in the program.  

NOTE: The property owner is fully responsible for evidencing entitlement to participate in the Program, arranging and paying for the replacement of the private lead or galvanized water service with an updated copper service or another approved material, and meeting the requirements for advance of the pre-approved grant or grant and loan.  

Inspect the section of piping where the water service comes through the foundation wall and connects to the water meter. The water service is most likely to be visible in the basement.

Lead Water Service:

• Dull grey colour
• Scratch test reveals shiny underlying metal
• Non-magnetic
• A bulb formation might be seen along the pipe near the connection to the water meter
• Pipes tend to be larger in diameter

Copper Water Service:

• Green corrosion may be seen along the pipe
• Scratch test reveals shiny underlying copper metal
• Non-magnetic
• Pipes are relatively small in diameter

Galvanized Iron Water Service

• Dull grey in colour
• Will remains dull grey when scratched.
• Magnetic
• Threads may be present at the connection point

Brass

• Threads may be present at the connection point
• Similar colouration to copper

To be considered in the PLWSRP, submitting evidence of a lead service is required. If you are having issues determining the composition of your private water service, a licensed plumber or home inspector can help you determine the material type.

If your home was built before the 1960s, you may have a lead service connection. The risk of lead also increases when there is evidence that other cases of Private Lead Water Services exist in one or more other properties on the same street.

How to determine the material of your pipes:

1. Reference the details of your home inspection.
2. Investigate the main service pipe between your foundation and your water meter by engaging in a visual inspection and conducting a scratch test using a key, a coin, or sandpaper to expose the underlying bare metal. You can also hold a magnet to your service line since iron/steel are magnetic while Lead is not magnetic. Learn more about How to conduct a scratch test and what to look for when identifying material types.
3. A License Plumber or home inspector can help you determine the material composition of your private water service.
4. Use Sudbury’s Open Data portal. Open Data records can indicate the material type of your service line, however, this data is not complete or definitive.  Changes may have occurred since the information was initially collected and information regarding the type of water service may not have been provided.
5. As a last resort, citizens can contact 311 to find out how the City’s Predictive Lead Model may be able to assist with determining the likelihood of a Private Lead Water Service at their Property. This model can serve as a good investigative tool when trying to identify the material type of your home’s service line. However, this data has been collected using a combination of real historical information and predictive modelling and therefore is not definitive in all cases. Predictive data uses different variables such as the age of the home, or historical work orders in the region to determine the probability of a home having a lead service line. 

To be considered in the PLWSRP, submitting evidence of a lead service or of a galvanized iron service is required. Use the recommended identification approaches in the “How Do I Know If I Have Lead or Galvanized Iron Pipes?” section of this webpage to help you identify the material of your service line.

Once the lead service has been identified, you can apply to the program by using the City’s Customer Service Portal to create an account and submit an online service request. You can also apply by calling 3-1-1 to submit a claim and set up a service cloud case.

Once your account has been set up, you will be assigned a case number which will grant you access to all the necessary program documents. You will need to fill in and provide the following:

1. Lead Servicing Grant and Loan Application Form

Please ensure that your Application is:

• In the prescribed format
• Fully completed, signed, and submitted by all Owners of the Residential Property
• Accompanied by all documentation identified in the Application, including but not limited to:
  • Evidence that the property is Residential
  • Proof of ownership of the Residential Property
  • Proof that the Residential Property is serviced by a Private Lead Water Service or Private Galvanized Water Service
  • A Statement of Account for water and wastewater from Greater Sudbury Utilities, to ensure good standing. 

2. Estimated Cost Forms

Please ensure that your Cost Estimate Forms:

• Are in the prescribed format
• Have been completed and signed by at least two drainlayers and/or two plumbers of your choice who are licensed by the City of Greater Sudbury.
  • NOTE: You will only need to provide Cost Estimate Forms from 2 licensed plumbers in the event that the plumbing between the foundation of the home to the water meter needs to be replaced.
• Confirm that the private service is composed of lead.
• Include details of the work to be completed between the property line and the foundation
• Include a complete itemization of the Eligible/Non-Eligible estimated costs.

Once your application request has been processed and is deemed to be fully complete, you will be conditionally approved for the program.

Your application will be reviewed for conditional approval by the General Manager of Infrastructure and Capital Planning, and a conditional grant or grant and loan amount will be determined. Adjustments to the final Loan amount will be made once all the work has been completed.

Once your application request has been conditionally approved, you can arrange for the Work to be completed by the approved Licensed Drainlayer and/or Licensed Plumber.

Before starting any work:

• The Applicant or their Licensed Drainlayer must ensure that all utility locates with respect to both private and City property have been obtained.
  • To access this service call Ontario One Call 1-800-400-2255.
• The necessary permits for the Work from Technical Services, which include a Water Connection Permit and a Road Occupancy Permit, have been obtained if needed.
  • Call 3-1-1 and ask for the Technical Services department.  

Before burying the newly installed water service:

• Arrange for a Water and Sewer Inspection by the City’s Water and Wastewater Services with respect to the Connection Permit
  • Call 3-1-1 and request a water service inspection by a Trouble Investigator (TI) on the day the work is being completed.
• If any work from the foundation of the home to the water meter is completed, you must also obtain a water meter inspection. Inspections should be coordinated at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance to the work being completed.
  • You can contact the City of Greater Sudbury’s Meter Shop directly at 705-674-4455 ext. 3663.

NOTE: It is highly encouraged to have the Licenced Drainlayer/Licenced Plumber (if required) coordinate all locates/permits/inspection requests.

The final Grant or Grant and Loan amount will be determined and advanced only after receiving proof of completion of the work and all other required documentation. The advancement of the approved Grant or Grant and Loan may be initiated by submitting the following information under the Customer Service Portal:

• A final invoice with all associated eligible costs from the licensed drain layer
• A final invoice with all associated eligible costs from the licensed plumber (if one was acquired)
• Any additional requested documentation

NOTE: The advancement must be requested within 12 months of the date the City gave notice of conditional approval or the application will expire. 

Once the application has been reviewed and approved, the applicant will need to sign and submit the following:

• Lead Service Loan Agreement
• Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement

Once both the "Lead Service Loan Agreement" and the "Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement" have been submitted, the application will be deemed complete.