Halton Region cross-connection control program (By-law 71-19)

Who has to comply

Halton Region runs its Cross-Connection Control Program under the Safe Drinking Water Act and its own Drinking Water System By-law 71-19. The by-law applies to owners of industrial, commercial and institutional properties and multi-unit residential properties. Multi-unit residential means two or more dwellings, not including secondary suites. The owner must install the proper backflow preventer and have it tested annually by a tester registered with the Region. Under the by-law, "owner" includes occupants and tenants. That is why tenants sometimes receive the notice.

By-law 71-19 replaced By-law 61-11 on July 10, 2019.

How the program runs

• Identification. The Region identifies cross-connections where drinking water could be contaminated. It keeps a database of locations with a device installed.
• Survey. A tester registered with Halton completes a cross-connection survey of the property and submits it within 28 days. A survey the Region requests is due within 60 days. Halton reviews it and advises which type of device is required.
• Installation and testing. The device is installed at or near the water meter so it isolates the whole premises. A copy of the signed plumbing permit must accompany the test report filed after installation. The device is then tested every year. The report is filed with the Region within 28 days of the test. A device that fails must be repaired or replaced within 96 hours.
• Fees. Halton charges an administration fee for an initial survey and for each device test report. An initial survey for a property with no device yet costs $132.02 plus HST. A survey and test report for an existing device cost $66.01 plus HST per device. There is no fee for re-surveys. These are the Region's 2026 amounts under the water rates by-law that took effect on January 1, 2026. Halton accepts cheque or money order by mail, credit card (not American Express) and e-transfer to [email protected]. For an online submission, the payment option is chosen in the report.

Working with us in Halton

Halton Region requires surveys, installations and annual tests to be carried out by a tester registered with the Region. Send us the notice and we confirm the next step. Our certificates are listed under Qualifications.

The four municipalities

The Region is the water utility for all four municipalities. The same by-law and process apply throughout the Regional water system. What differs is the building permit for a new device, which comes from the local municipality. The signed permit must accompany the test report filed after installation.

Permit rules by municipality: Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills.

Milton

Milton's industrial parks along the 401 follow the same Regional program. Residential permit applications in Milton go through the Town's online services portal; applicants for industrial, commercial and institutional permits contact Building Services. The Town then sends a ShareFile link for the application, once it has the project address. Every application includes the Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish, with drawings as PDFs generated from the design software. The Town's fee table has no line for a backflow preventer. The residential table's nearest line is new plumbing or an alteration, at $264.20 flat, which is also the minimum fee for any permit. The ICI table's only plumbing line is site servicing, at $3.75 per linear metre. The tables show no year, so we confirm the fee when we apply. Inspections for portal-issued residential permits are booked through the portal; other permits use the Town's online inspection request form or the phone line. The Town refers residents to the Region's subsidy.

Halton Hills

Georgetown and Acton properties on the Regional water system follow the same program. The Town of Halton Hills accepts building permit applications electronically only, through its online form. The application includes the provincial application, the design documentation for the work and an Applicable Law declaration. Fees are paid at submission. The 2026 fee schedule has one flat line for plumbing work of this kind, "Backflow Preventer/Backwater Valve/Sump Pump", at $254.01. The minimum permit fee is $263.37 for a small residential building. For any other building it is $344.23. The Town waives that fee line for flood-protection work done under the Region's subsidy program. That program does not cover a water-supply backflow preventer. Inspections are booked through the Town's online request.

Backwater valves across Halton

A backwater valve is a sewer device that stops wastewater from backing up through the lateral into a house. It is not what the Region's cross-connection notice is about.

Homeowners may be eligible for Halton Region's backwater valve subsidy; the Region sets the terms, and the local building permit applies.