Water, Wastewater and Drains

The Municipality of South Bruce strives to promote water conservation and maintain well-working municipal drains. We are partnered with Veolia to ensure our wastewater and drinking water are properly treated and maintained 24/7.

Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for a New Water Storage Facility (Teeswater) - Presentation from Sept. 4/24 Public Meeting

Water or wastewater emergencies

If there is a water or wastewater emergency, please contact the Public Works Department, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 519-392-6623. For after-hours emergencies only please contact Veolia directly at 519-889-2419.

Apply for a tile drain loan

Learn how you can apply for a tile drain loan if you are a farmer and are planning on installing a tile drainage system on your property.

Need a locate? Call before you dig

Before you dig, you must request a locate. Ontario One Call provides free locates for hydro, gas, telephone and Municipal services including water and sewer locates.

Request to have your water turned off or on

Please contact the Public Works Department at least 2 business days in advance, to request to have your Municipal water turned off or on.

Private well water testing

The Municipality does not provide well water testing. Learn how you can get your well water tested from Public Health Ontario if you have a private well on your rural property or live in the community of Formosa with a private well.

Wastewater Systems

Our wastewater systems help to move wastewater from plumbing in your homes and businesses to a water pollution control plant. Once the wastewater is treated and cleaned, it goes into our waterways including our lakes and streams.

To learn more about our wastewater systems, view our reports:

Formosa residents with grinder pumps

You are required to have grinder pumps if you are a resident of Formosa and are connected to the wastewater system in the following areas:

Bruce Road 12 (North of the Formosa Creek Bridge Crossing)
Council Road (East of the Formosa Creek Bridge Crossing)
Maple Street
Community Drive
Convent Street
Concession 12
Doris Drive
Wilmar Drive

What to do if your grinder pump alarm or light turns on?

If you observe an alarm or light on your grinder pump, please contact the Public Works Department at 519-392-6623 or if after hours contact Veolia at 519-889-2419

What is a grinder pump?

A grinder pump takes the solids and liquids from your home and grinds them up so that they can be pumped into the main sewer pipes that lead to the wastewater treatment facility.

Items not allowed down the drain, sink or toilet

Whether you have a grinder pump or use the Municipal wastewater system, do not put the following items down the drain, sink or toilet:

Baby wipes and disposable diaper liners
Band-Aids, wrappers
Bulky food
Cigarettes
Colostomy bags
Condoms
Cotton balls, swabs
Dental Floss
Feminine products (sanitary pads, tampons and applicators)
Grease, Fats and oils
Hair clippings or clumps
Hazardous chemicals
Latex gloves
Metal, glass, cloths, napkins, or rags
Paper towels or wipes
Razors
Sand or cat litter

Wipes and hygiene products

Please do not flush any kind of wipes, diaper liners, hygiene products or cleaning pads. Instead, place them in the trash. Although marketed as disposable or flushable, wipes and hygiene products can clog and stop the sewer line on your property and cause blockage and service problems in the public sewer system and pump stations. Unlike toilet paper, these products do not break down.

Fats, oils and grease

Fats, oils and grease can cause serious problems for the sanitary sewer system. Grease poured down the sink or toilet is often a warm liquid which may not appear harmful but as the liquid cools, the grease solidifies which restricts flow, causes buildup, and clogs pipes.

Follow these best practices to help avoid blockages:

Scrape grease and food scraps from trays, plates, pots and pans into a can or trash basket for disposal
Wipe out greasy pans with a paper towel before putting them into the sink to soak
Never pour grease down the sink drain or into the toilet
Do not use hot water to rinse oil or grease because once the grease and water cool, the grease deposits onto the sides of the sewer pipes, creating a problem
Use a strainer in the sink to catch food scraps and other solids

Blockage risks

When these unwanted products make their way into the public wastewater system, they start collecting up. This causes very large obstructions in the main collector lines that can get tangled in pump stations. If you put any of these items down your drain, sink or toilet, you risk:

Damaging the grinder pump
Flooding your sewage system
Creating an unwanted mess in your basement
Requiring costly repairs or replacements of the sewer equipment

Potential sewer repair costs

A repair of the on-site sewer line can be very costly. If your grinder pump gets blocked or if the Municipality suspects abuse of your grinder pump, you will be responsible for paying any costs to fix the damage.

Safe drinking water

We are committed to providing clean, safe drinking water for all who live in our community. Our Operational Plan for our Drinking Water Quality Management System shows our action plan to monitor, test and improve our water and facilities.

The Quality Management System Policy within this plan ensures that we:

Provide you with a consistent supply of clean, safe drinking water
Follow all legislative and regulatory requirements
Manage and operate the water supply system in a responsible manner
Maintain and improve the water systems Quality Management System (QMS)

For more information on our efforts to ensure safe drinking water, view our water quality reports:

Partnership with Veolia

Veolia maintains, operates, and repairs our facilities 24/7. This ensures that our community properly treats our water so we can have clean, safe drinking water for everyone.

Our partnership with Veolia ensures that our drinking water is safe and that sewers are well maintained. If you would like to view this agreement, please contact us.