Basement Flooding in Ajax: Duffins Creek, the Waterfront and the 1990s Subdivisions

Which pipe, which government

Sewer backup arrives at the floor drain, a basement toilet or the laundry standpipe, during or just after heavy rain, and smells like sewage: that is the sanitary system, which Durham Region owns beyond your property line. Groundwater arrives clear at the wall-floor joint and through cracks after long rains and in the thaw: that is your weeping tile and drainage. Water coming down the driveway, over a window well or up a creek valley is storm water: the Town of Ajax owns the storm sewers and catch basins, and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority regulates Duffins and Carruthers creeks and publishes the flood-plain mapping.

Photograph where the water first appeared and when. Durham Region takes reports on the sanitary system, the Town on storm drainage, and a plumber handles what is yours.

What the fixes do, and who has helped pay

A backwater valve is a one-way flap on the sanitary lateral that closes when the sewer surcharges so sewage cannot flow back into the house; while it is closed nothing in the house drains. A sump pump with a pit collects groundwater from the foundation drain and pumps it outside; a battery backup keeps it running through the outages that come with the storms. Disconnecting downspouts and extending them away from the foundation, and correcting the grading that has settled toward the house since the builder left, is the cheapest fix and often the most effective.

Durham Region and the Town of Ajax have each offered protective plumbing programs at different times, with conditions that the work be done by a licensed plumber under a Town permit. The programs change; check both current pages before signing a quote.

• Durham Region and Town program pages checked for eligibility
• Licensed plumber and Town of Ajax plumbing permit number
• Camera inspection recording and locate
• Sump pump tested and battery backup quoted
• Downspouts extended and grading corrected

Who owns which pipe

In Ajax the owner is responsible for the sanitary lateral on private property up to the property line, and Durham Region for the sanitary sewer beyond it. The Town owns the storm sewers, catch basins and creek works. A camera inspection with a locate tells you which side a break or blockage is on. Keep the recording; an insurer will want it for a sewer backup claim, and sewer backup and overland water are usually separate add-ons on an Ontario home policy.

The creeks and the waterfront

Properties along Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek face flooding from the creek itself, which no sump pump fixes; the conservation authority’s flood-plain mapping tells you whether you are in the regulated area, and it regulates any work in the valleys. Waterfront properties along Lake Driveway face lake storms and shoreline erosion. The 1990s subdivisions in between have builder-installed sump pumps that may never have run and grading that has settled for thirty years; lift the float, test the pump, and walk the lot after a rain to see where the water goes.