As part of our dedication to providing up to date and relevant information to our readers we’re embarking on a journey through the most common Toronto plumbing services. We face a large variety of calls on a regular basis but the first of this series will be a look into Toronto water service upgrades!
There are quite a few reasons that property and homeowners may choose to upgrade their water service, the most common are reasons people upgrade their plumbing in Toronto are to lead pipe removal, to fit the new water meters, and to increase their water pressure.
Lead Pipe Removal
Toronto’s aging plumbing infrastructure means that homes and properties built before the 1950s are subjected to lead piping for the water supply service. Replacing these lead pipes has become a huge task over the past few years as the City of Toronto attempts to replace their section of the lead service pipe that runs from the water main to the property line. Replacing the portion of lead service pipe running from the property line to building connection however is the responsibility of the property owner and they must seek a licensed Toronto plumber to conduct the work for them. This upgrade can be coordinated with the City to expedite the process and create less overall hassle. For more information please see the City’s Priority Lead Water Service Replacement Program website.
Toronto Water Meter Upgrade Program
The Toronto water meter upgrade program is well under way installing automated water meters across the city. This will allow them to save money in the long run by eliminating the need for people to physically visit every water meter in order to obtain usage data. However, the water meter cannot be installed on old water service utilizing lead or galvanized pipes due to incompatibilities causing leaking and other issues. This means that there are quite a few properties in Toronto that will need their plumbing service upgraded in order to fit the new water meter.
Fix Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure problems can be caused by a number of factors, one such problem is from high water demands reducing the distribution of water in a property. For instance, a home might have someone having a shower, running a dishwasher, and watering their lawn. Under these circumstances the home may experience low water pressure. One way to fix this problem is to upgrade the water service pipes to a larger diameter pipe allowing the flow of more water to the property to supply the demands placed on the plumbing system.
For more information on upgrading your Toronto water service you can rely on the licensed Toronto plumbers of Absolute Draining & Plumbing. Feel free to contact us at 416-252-5557 for a consultation or to answer any questions you may have regarding water service upgrades..
I know that my parent’s home is really old, but I have no idea how old. Is there a specific way to tell if the pipes are lead? Does it leave some sort of visible or testable evidence in the water? We haven’t had a Toronto plumber around since we’ve moved in, so I have no idea if the previous owners did anything to the pipes. Is there a specific type of plumber you need for pipe replacement? Is it a good idea to have someone come in to test for lead pipes? Can regular plumbers do that?
Great questions Adda; a professional local plumber can definitely help you solve this dilemma, all you need to do is call, but if you are interested in taking some steps yourself to discover if you have lead contaminated water service (yes, it is testable) you can check out the City of Toronto’s Water Supply Lead Testing page which has detailed information on it specific to discovering lead content.
They state, “If you are still interested in getting your water tested, residents of older homes can get their water tested for lead by picking up a sample bottle at a number of Toronto Public Health locations and dropping it off after collecting a water sample from their home. The Toronto Water Laboratory will advise residents of their results over the phone and/or by mail. The Public Health offices are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm., Monday to Friday. Bottles are available at the reception desk.” So it sounds like you just need to visit a Toronto Public Health location if you’d rather find out on your own!