Region of Peel backflow prevention program (By-law 10-2017)

Who has to comply

As the owner of the municipal water supply, the Region of Peel is responsible under the Safe Drinking Water Act for protecting everyone on the system. Its Backflow Prevention By-law, passed on February 9, 2017 and in force since April 1, 2017, applies to:

• every industrial, commercial and institutional facility in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon that is connected to the Region's municipal water system, and
• residential property other than low-risk land. Low-risk land is a property whose only buildings are residential, three storeys or less, with a building area of 600 m² or less, unless the Region finds a hazard.

Properties not connected to the Region's water system, such as those served only by a private well, are outside the by-law.

The sequence Peel follows

1. Notice of Cross Connection Survey. Affected owners receive a notice by mail. A company from Peel's qualified contractor list must inspect the building's water distribution system. The survey must be complete within 60 days of the date on the notice. The survey report must reach the Region within 14 days of the survey. If you need more time, the Region accepts extension requests by email ([email protected]) or phone (905-791-7800, ext. 3101).
2. Installation. The surveyor's report lists any devices required under CSA B64.10. The Region can direct a specific number and type of device by notice. Any required device must be installed within 1 year of the survey. Permits come from the local building department.
3. Testing and reporting. Every device is tested when it is installed and every year after that, within 14 days of the installation anniversary. It is tested again after any cleaning, repair, overhaul or relocation. Each test report must be submitted within 14 days of the test date. Region staff review it against the CSA requirements. A copy stays on the premises for at least 5 years from the test.
4. Certificate of Compliance. In each year without a follow-up survey, the owner must submit a Certificate of Compliance to the Region. A qualified person completes it. It is due within 14 days of the anniversary of the last survey. The set fine for missing it is $250.
5. Repeat surveys. A follow-up survey is required every 3 years where a severe hazard is present and every 5 years where the hazard is moderate or minor. The Region can require one sooner. The owner pays for it, and a company on Peel's qualified contractor list must do it. The owner must also notify the Region within 14 days of any change that creates or revives a hazard.

Fees to expect from the Region

Peel charges its own administrative fees for reviewing surveys and test reports. The fee is $60.10 per cross-connection survey. Annual test reports cost $57.68 per building per year. Fees are payable by Visa or Mastercard. All fees are subject to change, and we confirm them when we quote.

What we do in Peel

Spec-Mark Group is on the Region of Peel's qualified contractor list (May 2026 edition). For a property in Peel we:

• complete the survey the Region's notice asks for and file it with the Region;
• apply for the permits and install the devices where the survey calls for them;
• test every device annually;
• submit each test report to the Region, with a copy to you;
• prepare the annual Certificate of Compliance.

Our certificates are listed under Qualifications.

Permits from the local municipality

The Region runs the program, but the building permit for a new device comes from the city or town where the property is. Each one asks for something different. Mississauga files through ePlans with drawings sealed by a professional engineer. Brampton uses a backflow prevention device permit package with a per-device fee and a minimum permit fee.

Caledon

Caledon properties on the Region's water system are covered by the same by-law, deadlines and Region fees as Mississauga and Brampton. Properties that are not connected to the Region's water system, such as those served only by a private well, are outside it.

The Town of Caledon lists the installation of a backflow preventer among the projects that need a building permit. It takes applications online only, through its electronic application form. Under its 2026 fees by-law, the fee is $567.00 for each backflow preventer on an industrial, commercial or institutional property. The minimum permit fee for most occupancy groups is $321.

The plumbing-only application includes:

• the Application to Construct or Demolish form;
• the Plumbing Data Form;
• the Schedule 1 designer information and a Commitment to General Review, where they apply;
• a mechanical and plumbing layout for each floor.

Homeowners may be eligible for Peel's backwater valve rebate; the Region sets the terms. We serve Caledon under the same Peel listing.