Backflow preventionCity of Toronto, Municipal Code Chapter 851
Backflow preventer testing and installation in Scarborough
Spec-Mark Group surveys properties and tests, installs and repairs backflow preventers in Scarborough, from its office on Melford Drive. Scarborough is part of the City of Toronto, so Toronto Water's program under Municipal Code Chapter 851 applies. Toronto Building issues the permit for a new device. Our testers file through the City's online reporting system.
Toronto's program applies in Scarborough
There is no Scarborough backflow program. The City of Toronto's Water Supply By-law, Municipal Code Chapter 851, has applied across the whole City since January 1, 2008. Toronto Water runs one Backflow Prevention Program under it. A notice that reaches a Scarborough property comes from the same office, with the same deadlines, as one sent downtown:
- a cross-connection survey when requested;
- a test at installation and every year;
- a report within 7 days of the test;
- a repair within 48 hours of a failed test.
The city-wide rules are set out in full on the Toronto page.
The Ontario Building Code's plumbing part (Part 7) and the CSA B64 standards also apply. The municipal by-law adds the program around them: who is surveyed, how often each device is tested, where the report goes and by when.
A permit for a new device in Scarborough
A new or replaced device anywhere in the City needs a stand-alone plumbing permit from Toronto Building before the work starts, applied for online. The fee is $92.79 per device under the 2026 fee schedule, with a $214.79 minimum per permit. The device is installed immediately after the meter and bypass piping, with no branch or hose connection before it, and the plumbing must allow for thermal expansion. We apply for the permit as part of an installation.
What we do in Scarborough
Our office is at 90 Melford Drive. We work across Scarborough, including the Golden Mile and the Scarborough Centre area. Our backflow testers hold ASSE certification and file through the City's online system.
- Complete the cross-connection survey when Toronto Water asks for one.
- Test each assembly and tag it during the visit, using a calibrated test kit.
- File the report through the City's online form as the City requires.
- If a device fails, give you a repair scope (the City requires the repair within 48 hours of the test).
- Retest the device (the City allows 72 hours after the repair).
- On a new installation, apply for the plumbing permit and test the new device.
The certificates are on the Qualifications page.
Questions about backflow in Scarborough
Is a backflow preventer required for my property in Scarborough?
Scarborough properties follow the City of Toronto's rules. Industrial, commercial and institutional properties need a backflow preventer on the water supply. So do large residential buildings (Part 3 of the Building Code). The device type is set by the hazard level Schedule 5 of Chapter 851 assigns to the sector. A house within Part 9 of the Building Code is outside the program unless it has an auxiliary water supply or another law requires premise isolation.
How often is it tested in Scarborough, and when is it replaced?
At least once a year, and also at installation and within 72 hours of any repair or servicing. There is no fixed replacement schedule; after a failed test the owner repairs or replaces the device within 48 hours.
What does backflow compliance cost in Scarborough?
Toronto's $68.50 processing fee applies to each annual test report. A new device needs a plumbing permit from Toronto Building, at $92.79 per device with a $214.79 minimum per permit. We quote from the notice and the number, size and type of devices.
Is a backwater valve the same as a backflow preventer?
No. A backwater valve is a sewer device that helps protect a basement from sewage backup. A backflow preventer protects the drinking water supply, and it is what Toronto Water's notice is about.
Who sends the notice in Scarborough, and who issues the permit?
Toronto Water sends the notice or the survey request city-wide. Toronto Building issues the plumbing permit for a new or replaced device, and reports go to the same online form the whole City uses.
Can my existing device be tested, or does it have to be replaced?
A device can be tested in place when it is readily accessible, as the by-law requires, and a test kit can be connected to it. One with a branch connection before it does not meet Chapter 851, whatever the test shows. If the device is blocked, the owner must clear access to it; moving or replacing a device needs a plumbing permit. We tell you which it is before anything is booked.
Scarborough is part of the City of Toronto; the city-wide rules are on the Toronto page.