Plumber on the South Shore, from Longueuil to Brossard

Since August 22, 2021, by-law CO-2021-1141 has required Longueuil owners to install a valve on every secondary branch receiving wastewater from fixtures in the basement or below the crown of the street. The City specifies that the requirement applies whatever the year the house was built.

The by-law goes further than in many cities:

• a valve is also required on connections that take rainwater from surfaces lower than the lot, such as a garage ramp, an outside entrance or a foundation drain;
• the squeeze-in insert valve is not compliant;
• a normally open valve is only accepted when five conditions are met, including a house built before September 28, 2005;
• without a compliant valve, the City is not liable for damage caused by a backup.

The plumber checks every basement outlet before suggesting a backwater valve. In practice, that means counting the basement fixtures connected to the sewer (toilet, shower, washer, sink, floor drain), finding where each branch joins the main drain and planning an access hatch for yearly maintenance. If your house has a garage ramp or a foundation drain connected to the sewer, those connections get checked too, since the by-law covers them.

The City of Longueuil asks you to first check whether your neighbours have the same problem. If they do, the cause is probably on the City’s side: call 311, or 450 463-7311. If not, the connection has to be inspected by camera, and the video must show the date, the time and the distance covered. Repairs on the private side are at your cost.

During a sewer backup, the plumber clears the line and looks for the cause, so you know what to ask the City for. Keep a copy of the video and of the plumber’s invoice with your photos of the damage: your insurer may ask for them too.

In Boucherville, you are responsible for the pipes between your property line and the house, and the City for those between the street and that line. During a backup, the City asks you to call a plumber and your insurer, then the Public Works Department at 450 449-8630.

Brossard recommends installing and maintaining a valve to prevent backups, and answers questions through Services Brossard at 450 923-6311.

Longueuil aims to eliminate every lead water service line on its territory by 2030. Its screening, which started in summer 2021, runs over 7 years and targets about 22,000 buildings. According to the City, these lines are mostly found in houses built between 1940 and 1950, and up to about 1970.

The City pays to replace the public part, and the owner pays for the private part, which requires a permit. Replacing your lead water service line can therefore be planned around the City’s work on your street.

According to the strategy Longueuil published in 2025, six rain floods caused damage from 2022 to 2024. On August 9, 2024, storm Debby dropped in 24 hours as much rain as the city usually receives over a whole month of August.

The City asks owners to service their valves at least once a year and to report flooding to 311. No permit is required for emergency work after a disaster.

We work on the South Shore day and night, for emergencies and planned work alike. The price is confirmed on the phone before the plumber heads out, and the arrival time is confirmed for your address, since the bridge crossing and the time of day both matter.