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Norton Engineering Inc.

We love sewers.

New sewers in Ontario are leaking unacceptably (2015)

In 2015, Norton initiated a project to address the issue of I/I in new subdivisions. We started by collecting flow monitoring data from new subdivisions across Ontario, to see if my experience locally in Woolwich (see WEAO, 2007) was perhaps happening elsewhere. Results were alarming. See results at left, of 35 subdivisions reporting from across Ontario, different municipalities, consultants and contractors. Ninety-eight (98%) of them were leaking unacceptably.


This work engendered a new term, coined by Norton: "leak acceptable". 

We aren't doing the inspections and testing specified
in our own standards and specifications

From 2016, the research expanded to answer the next question:  why are new sewers leaking?  A survey of about 150 municipalities in Ontario over three years revealed a shocking result. We are not performing the sewer tests that are required per our own standards and specifications. If we aren't leak testing our new sewers, we can't be shocked to discover that they are leaking.

New Sewers are Leaking, Unacceptably, 2015

This is rather old news if you are new to the industry. The background on this work is Norton's initiative from 2015 to 2017, to collect flow monitoring data from new subdivisions across Ontario, to see if my experience locally in Woolwich (see WEAO, 2007) was pehaps more broad. See results at left, of 35 subdivisions reporting from aross Ontario, different municipalities, consultants and contractors. Ninety-eight (98%) of them were leaking unacceptably.

This work engendered a new term, coined by Norton: "leak acceptable". Ontario didn't know what had hit it. Canada wasn't far behind.