Paulson Road and King George's Drive - Watermain Cleaning and Relining

Toronto Water

TEXT VERSION:

Construction Notice:

Watermain Cleaning and Relining on Paulson Road and King George’s Drive from Trethewey Drive to Keele Street

Expected Start Date: April 2021

Expected End Date: August 2021

The City of Toronto will be cleaning and structurally relining the watermain in your area in Spring 2021. During this process, the City will also replace the City-owned portion of any substandard water service pipes.

The water service is the underground pipe that brings water from the watermain to your water meter and is owned by you and the City. The part the City owns goes from the municipal watermain to your property line. The part you own goes from your property line to your water meter. This project is part of the Council-approved Capital Works Program to renew Toronto's aging infrastructure, improve water distribution and reduce the risk of watermain breaks.

COVID-19 and Construction Work in Toronto At this time, the Province of Ontario has allowed municipal construction to continue to ensure safe and reliable operations and/or to provide new capacity in municipal infrastructure. The watermain relining work is essential to ensure the City’s infrastructure remains safe, in a state of good repair, and able to meet Toronto’s needs. During construction, the contractor is responsible for all aspects of health and safety on site, as specified by the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, which includes implementing COVID-19 mitigation practices. For more information on the City's response to COVID- 19, please visit toronto.ca/covid-19.

Physical Distancing: There are times when contractors may need to communicate with property owners about what is happening on-site. This could be about driveway access, water shut-offs, exterior or interior pre-construction inspections, or site restoration work. Contractor's staff are identifiable by their high-visibility clothing. If the contractor needs to speak with you, they will knock on your door and/or ring the doorbell then step away to keep the required two-meter (six feet) distance. Please practice physical distancing with all workers on-site so everyone remains safe and please wear a mask if you need to speak with someone. If you have questions, please contact the Field Ambassador.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAD WATER SERVICES

If you live in a house/building that was built before the mid-1950s, your water service may be made of lead. Please read the attached fact sheet with important information about the risks of lead in drinking water, especially if someone in your house/building is pregnant, there are children under six years old, or there is an infant drinking formula made from tap water. Please note: Lead pipes were not used in apartment buildings or other multi-residential buildings with more than six units.

WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE CONSTRUCTION

• Work crews will mark the locations of underground utilities, such as gas, water and cable so that the construction work does not interfere with these utilities.

• Affected properties will receive a construction notice approximately two to three weeks before work begins. The notice will include more information about the work, including exact details regarding the project's start and end dates.

• Work in the boulevard in front of homes and commercial properties is expected. This work includes removing and replacing a portion of driveways, municipal sidewalks and grassed boulevards, where necessary.

• Property owners should remove items located within City property limits (boulevard), such as landscaping and or decorative objects before work starts.

Substandard Water Service Replacement: Please take the time to read the attached fact sheet carefully as it contains important information on lead in drinking water and how to prepare for replacement of your lead water service pipe. If you decide to replace the private portion of your water service pipe, the City of Toronto recommends that you obtain several quotes before selecting a contractor.

PLEASE NOTE: The City is not able to get involved in any contract for work to be done on private property. Property owners are responsible for ensuring contractors do not interfere with the work being done on City property. Learn more at www.toronto.ca/leadpipes

Accessible Accommodation: Should you require accommodation (level entry, longer notice, etc.) please contact the Field Ambassador to discuss how the City can help meet your needs during construction.

NEED MORE INFORMATION? If you have questions about the upcoming work, please contact us.

Field Ambassador (416) 508-3164, TorontoWMRehab@wsp.com (7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday – Friday, closed on weekends)

TTY Hearing Impaired Service 416-338-0889 (Seven days a week, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed on holidays)

General and after-hours inquiries 3-1-1

Website toronto.ca/yorksouthweston

Thank you for your patience. Building a great city takes time. Better infrastructure for all of us is worth the wait.

Lead in Drinking Water

This fact sheet, as explained in the Special Notice attached, is to advise you that the City of Toronto will be undertaking construction work close to your home in the near future.

The construction could involve work on your road, watermain or sewer. It may also involve

replacing the City-owned part of your water service pipe, which may contain lead.

Lead can affect how the brain and nervous system grows, so this factsheet is very important to read if someone in your house is pregnant, if there are children under 6 years old, or if there is an infant drinking formula made from tap water.

Water Pipe Replacement

The underground pipe that brings water to your water meter (called the service pipe) is owned by you and by the City. The part that the City owns goes from the municipal watermain to your property line. The part that you own goes from your property

line to your water meter.

During construction, if the City finds that the water pipe is made of lead, it will replace the City-owned part. Toronto Public Health strongly recommends you replace your part of the water pipe if it contains lead. With only a partial lead pipe replacement, there may be a temporary increase of lead in your drinking water. The best way to reduce lead is to replace both the City-owned and private side of a lead water pipe. Find out how by reading the back of this Fact Sheet.

Lead, Drinking Water and Your Health

• If you live in a property (storefront, office building or house) built before the mid-1950s and the water service pipe has never been replaced, it is probably made of lead. If it is, then lead may be getting into your drinking water. Apartment and other buildings with more than

six units do not have lead pipes.

• Lead is most harmful to the growing brain and nervous system of a fetus, infant or child under 6 years old. If a young child has too much lead in their body, it can lead to a shortened attention span, and intellectual and behavioural problems.

• If you have a baby at home and are breastfeeding, continue to breastfeed your baby. The

amount of lead in breast milk is much lower than in tap water and is healthy for your baby to

drink. If you are feeding your baby formula, use cold filtered tap water, boil it and then let it cool.

Use within 30 minutes. Until you have a filter, consider using bottled water for making baby

formula, or ready-to-feed formula.

How to prepare for lead water pipe replacement

Once construction begins, the contractor will be able to see the underground water pipe and will know for sure if the City-owned portion is made of lead and needs to be replaced. A City staff person or City-hired contractor will tell you in person or leave a note in your mailbox if they are replacing the service to your property. In the meantime, you can take steps to prepare for the possible replacement.

Step 1: Find out if your part of the water pipe is made of lead.

• If your house was built before the mid-1950s, then the water service pipe is probably made of lead, unless it was replaced at another time. You can find out how old your house is by asking the landlord or checking the ownership papers.

• If possible, look at the pipe that goes into your water meter. If it is grey, scratches easily and

does not sound hollow when you tap it, it may be made of lead. To know for sure, ask a

plumber or home inspector.

Step 2: Find a contractor to replace your part of the water pipe.

• Get at least three quotes from a licensed plumber to get the best price. Replacing your part of the water pipe could cost approximately $3,000 but will be dependent on the characteristics of your home.

• Your contractor must replace your part of the water pipe either before or after the City-hired

contractor replaces the City-owned part. Private contractors cannot work at the site at the

same time as the City-hired contractor. Be sure that your contractor understands this and can

tell you the best way for coordinating the work to save you the most money.

Step 3: Learn more about protecting your health after a lead water pipe is replaced

• After a lead water pipe is replaced, there may be a temporary increase of lead in your drinking water. The City will provide you with tips and a free water filter to help reduce the health impact from any temporary lead increase.

To learn more about lead pipe replacement and other ways that the City of Toronto is

working to reduce lead in drinking water, visit toronto.ca/lead or call 311.