Watering is allowed outside designated days and times only in the following circumstances: 

• You may water newly planted trees, shrubs and flowers while they are being installed and again 24 hours after installation
• You may water lawns immediately after fertilizer treatment and again 24 hours after treatment
• You may water new sod as required for a period of 30 days after the sod has been laid

Catch basins drain excess rain and groundwater from paved streets, parking lots and sidewalks into storm sewers, storm ponds and nearby natural drainage courses. As part of routine patrols, we maintain catch basins that are damaged or plugged with surface debris and repair or replace them when required.

Tips

• Remove leaves, lawn cuttings and other debris that came from your property that can block catch basins. Do not sweep or shovel sand from snow clearing into the catch basin
• In the winter, remove snow or break up ice that accumulates near catch basins
• Recycle and safely dispose of hazardous waste (e.g. used oil, paint, paint thinners and batteries)
• Catch basins are not filtered and lead directly into watercourses. Please do not pour household liquids, paints or any hazardous waste into catch basins

Storm sewers take surface water from catch basins into underground pipes and direct the untreated water to surface watercourses such as lakes, rivers and storm ponds.

Storm drains have oil and grit separators to keep some pollutants from affecting our environment. To keep the storm sewer system working properly, storm drains need to be maintained and debris removed so that it doesn't block pipes. 

Storm sewer repair program

Proactive repair of this important infrastructure helps prevent flooding and keeps the storm pipes working longer. Our annual Storm Sewer Repair Program finds and fixes broken or damaged pipes. 

We locate these issues through storm sewer CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) inspections, which involve inserting a camera into pipes to view and assess their condition. Once we know what needs fixing, we prioritize the list of repairs and determine the most appropriate course of action. We use trenchless methods wherever possible, which means we fix the pipes without digging up roads unless we have to.

Culverts are typically short pipes that provide connection points and help drainage between ditches, storm sewers or other drainage outlets. Culverts are required when a driveway or entrance crosses a drainage ditch. We will identify where culverts are required.

Driveway culverts 

Fill out an Entrance Permit Application to replace damaged culverts, add a driveway with a culvert, or maintain existing culverts. Through the permitting process we will identify construction requirements, including culvert size, to ensure the ditch drainage is not impacted.

Culverts that are plugged with debris, caved in or frozen can cause flooding. It is a shared responsibility of the homeowner and the Town to ensure all driveway culverts are free of debris and other materials.

Tips

• It is the responsibility of the property owner to get a permit and perform construction to repair or replace damaged driveway culverts
• Remove leaves, lawn cuttings and other debris that came from your property that can block culverts from draining properly
• Do not alter the ditch, culvert or drainage system in any way

We inspect ditches on a regular basis throughout the year to identify required maintenance. Ditches are located on the sides of roads and drain water from nearby land or roads. Ditches hold water and control how fast the water enters the drainage system. Some ditches allow water to flow into the groundwater table, which minimizes the amount of water discharged to natural watercourses.

Depending on a property’s natural topography, ditches may always be wet or hold water for long periods of time when the water table or lake is high. This may also cause vegetation growth, which helps water absorption.

During significant weather events, water in ditches may crest and spill onto private property or roads. Most often, water levels start to drop or water that has pooled starts to naturally absorb into the ground within 2 to 3 days. We prioritize locations during weather events to patrol roads and check for flooding activity, while working with customer service to identify and attend any areas that need help.

Tips

• Remove leaves, lawn cuttings and other debris that came from your property that can block ditches from draining properly
• Do not alter the ditch, culvert or drainage system in any way
• Ditches and catch basins are not filtered and lead directly into watercourses and storm ponds. Please do not pour household liquids, paints or any hazardous waste into catch basins, ditches
• Property owners do not have the absolute right to outlet to roadside ditches. We reserve the right to remove or restrict any outlets to ditches that cause operational issues or damage to the drainage system (this includes running a sump line to the ditch)

By collecting runoff from rain and melted snow, stormwater management ponds help:

• Reduce localized flooding
• Control erosion by limiting the amount of stormwater that goes to nearby creeks and rivers
• Improve water quality by allowing dirt and other solids in stormwater runoff to settle to the bottom of the pond

How a stormwater pond works

As water flows over developed areas where driveways, buildings and roads cover the soil, it reaches our waterways much more quickly since it cannot be absorbed. The runoff collects various pollutants (dirt, fertilizer containing phosphorus and nitrogen) and debris (grass-clippings, paper, cigarette butts) along the way. Stormwater management ponds help collect this runoff. Sand, dirt, silt and other sediments that pollutants attach themselves to settle to the bottom of the pond. Cleaner water leaves the stormwater pond and flows into our watercourse.

Staying safe around stormwater ponds

While the constant water movement is good for stormwater management, it creates unsafe conditions for recreational activities. Keep safe around stormwater management ponds:

• Do not skate, swim, sled, or fish in or on the pond 
• Do not play around the ponds as water levels can change quickly

These ponds can contain salt and other materials that impact the water's ability to freeze. Pipes constantly move water in and out, which can frequently change water levels and impact ice thickness. Snow may cover ice hazards. 

Stormwater Pond Cleanout and Retrofit Program

We implemented the Stormwater Pond Cleanout and Retrofit Program to reduce phosphorus levels in Lake Simcoe and improve water quality. The project includes the design and construction of various stormwater ponds throughout Innisfil as per our Stormwater Management Master Plan and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority's Stormwater Pond Maintenance and Anoxic Conditions Investigation. 

This program includes one pond retrofit per year, annual inspection, and stormwater improvement works (e.g. low-impact development pilot projects, oil grit separator units, or enhanced grass swales). 

A municipal drain is a drainage system that helps watercourses direct water within a watershed. In some instances, natural features of these drains run across private property. Municipal drains can include:

• Creeks and rivers
• Dykes or berms
• Pumping stations
• Buffer strips
• Grassed walkways
• Stormwater ponds
• Culverts
• Bridges
• Ditches
• Closed systems, such as pipes or tiles buried in the ground

While the Town is responsible for maintaining municipal drains, all the landowners within the watershed share in the cost of drain maintenance. Due to the shared cost of drain maintenance, projects associated with drain work undergo a rigorous public process.

Municipal drain projects

• Carson Creek
• Hewitt's Creek Drain
• South Innisfil Creek Drain

Drainage Act

Municipal drains are created under the Drainage Act. The municipality constructs the project and adopts an engineer's report through a by-law that outlines how the cost of the work is assessed to the lands in the watershed. Once constructed under the by-law, the municipality is responsible for repairing and maintaining the municipal drain. For more information about municipal drains and what they mean for property owners, see the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Municipal Drain Fact Sheet.