FAQ

A grinder pump is used to grind and pump sewage uphill from a home.  An individual grinder pump can be used to move sewage into a normal sewer main where it flows gradually downhill.  The Grinder Pump Committee was asked to consider grinder pumps that work together in a communal pressurized sewage system (a Low Pressure Sewer System) where all sewage from the community must be pumped uphill and a traditional sewer main is not practical.

The main recommendation is for the Town to take on responsibility for inspecting and maintaining grinder pumps that are part of a Low Pressure Sewer System.

If the recommendations are approved by Council, homeowners who are part of a Low Pressure Sewer System will be contacted by Town staff to transfer maintenance of their pump to the Town or its designated maintenance contractor.

Homeowners who are not part of a Low Pressure Sewer System will see no change in the operation of the Town sewer system.

No.  Each individual homeowner will retain full ownership of their grinder pump. The recommendation is that the Town take over maintenance only.

As with all costs incurred by the Town and Niagara Region to collect and process sewage in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the cost of maintenance will be paid from the wastewater fees collected by the Town.