Sewage Water Alleviation Program

1. Homeowners can apply for and access funding via the following process:

   1. Contact the City of Welland Building Division to discuss your property with the SWAP Project Coordinator. The Coordinator will review and advise if your property may qualify for a SWAP grant.
   2. Complete and submit a SWAP Application Form. The SWAP Project Coordinator will arrange a time to view your property for a pre-work site inspection. The pre-work site inspection is required for grant eligibility.
   3. At the pre-work site inspection, City representatives will trace the sewer lateral/weeping tile connection to confirm that your system is connected to the sanitary sewer. They will also examine your existing plumbing to identify whether any SWAP-eligible improvements are already in place. All of this is documented on the SWAP Application Form. A summary of the meeting will be provided to you so that you can provide it to a contractor for quotation purposes.
   4. Obtain written quotations from at least two different contractors for the required works. Submit the quotes to the SWAP Project Coordinator for review.
      • Contracts are signed between the homeowner and the contractor. The City is not a party to these contracts. It is your responsibility to find suitable contractors and each quotation received must reflect a complete price for the required works. If you choose to complete any of the work yourself, this must be indicated in the quote and associated pricing must be provided.
      • Only works identified on the SWAP Application Form should be included in the quotations.
      • The City provides SWAP funding based on the lowest quotation submitted up to the per-household limit. If you hire the contractor with the higher quotation and/or your costs exceed the per-household limit, you are responsible to pay the difference.
   5. If your SWAP application is approved, you will need to apply for and obtain a building permit (“Application to Construct or Demolish”)from the City before any work can proceed. Once your permit is approved, you will receive a permit issuance letter that itemizes all required inspections.
   6. During construction, you assume full responsibility for overseeing and managing your contractor and for contacting the SWAP Project Coordinator to arrange required inspections as noted on your Permit Issuance Letter.
   7. When the work is nearing completion, you will need to contact the SWAP Project Coordinator one more time to arrange an inspection. The Inspector will confirm that all work listed on the SWAP Application Form has been satisfactorily completed in accordance with the Ontario Building Code. This inspection must take place before any excavations are backfilled and covered.
   8. Once all of the program work is finished and you are confident that your contractor has completed everything to your satisfaction, submit the completed SWAP Application Form along with all other relevant documentation (i.e., original quotations, bills, and itemized invoices) to the SWAP Project Coordinator.
   9. The SWAP Project Coordinator reviews your submittal to ensure that all claimed costs are eligible for grant funding. If the submittal is approved, the City provides you with a cheque for all eligible costs to a maximum of $7,500 per home, depending on the scope of improvements.
   10. You are responsible to pay your contractor directly. If the cost of your work exceeds your allocated funding, you are responsible to pay the additional costs.

Grant values will not exceed $7,500 per home. Funding is only awarded for the amount outlined on the application form and must correlate with quotations, bills, and invoices for labour and materials.

Two contractor quotations form the basis of cost evaluation even if the work is carried out by the homeowner.

Foundation drains must be disconnected from the sanitary system, downspouts must also be disconnected from below-ground discharge, and a sump system and backwater valve must be installed before the grant is released.

The work provides a degree of protection to the homeowner and mitigate the risk of basement flooding; however, the risk is never completely eliminated.

Homeowners should refrain from using water and plumbing fixtures during severe rainstorms since these flows may not be able to enter the sanitary sewer and may back up in the basement through floor drains, showers, and other low-elevation openings. Select backwater valves are available with a clear cover through which sewer drain performance may be inspected.

Homeowners are responsible to maintain all installed equipment, including regular inspections of the backwater valve and sump pump. Please refer to manufacturers' recommendations.

Note: The list below includes contractors interested in the program. The City of Welland does not recommend any one contractor over another, nor does the City guarantee the work of any contractor listed. Homeowners may use the contractor of their choice.

Bernier Excavating and Haulage (Reg)
Address: 108 Commercial Street, Welland, ON, L3B 5Z3
Phone: 905-735-1205

Bob Robinson & Son Construction
Address: 9687 Biggar Road, RR1, Port Robinson, ON, L0S 1K0
Phone: 905-384-9884

City Wide Group Inc. (Casey)
Address: 51 Barron Street, Welland, ON, L3C 2K4
Phone: 905-735-7738

Flow-State Plumbing and Drains Inc (Richard)
Address: St. Catharines, ON
Phone: 289-402-8926

Foundation Waterproofing by Moe
Address: 566 Webber Road, Welland, ON, L3B 5N8
Phone: 905-892-2953

Fralick Construction (Chuck)
Address: 364 Chantler Road, R. R. #5, Welland, ON, L3B 5N8
Phone: 905-734-4697

Go Green Plumbing (Jordan)
Address: 13 Queenston Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 2Y8
Phone: 289-244-9843

Ideal Plumbing & Heating (Mark)
Address: 8 Clairmont Street, Unit 8, Thorold, ON, L2V 1R1
Phone: 905-680-1851

Marlee Niagara Contractors (Andrew)
Address: 14 Springhead Gardens, Welland, ON, L3C 5A8
Phone: 905-734-6955

Metro Plumbing & Heating
Address: 5836 Dunn Street, Niagara Falls, ON, L2G 2N7
Phone: 905-354-9032

Niagara Foundations and Sewers
Address: 125 Pinehurst Drive, Welland, ON
Phone: 905-246-6840

Pro-Seal Waterproofing (Trevor)
Address: 2601 Hwy 20, Unit #4, Fonthill, ON, L0S 1E6
Phone: 905-380-7122

RAM Construction (Paul)
Address: 454 East Main Street, Welland, ON, L3B 3X6
Phone: 905-658-3201

RL Xcavators (Rick)
Address: 50882 O’Reilly’s Road, South, Wainfleet, ON
Phone: 905-321-5513

Thos. R. Birnie & Sons Ltd. (James)
Address: 390 Lake Avenue North, Unit #1, Hamilton, ON, L8E 3A2
Phone: 905-578-4659

Wet and Humid No More (Eric)
Address: 4600 Montrose Road, Unit #2, Niagara Falls, ON, L2H 1K3
Phone: 905-329-8766