In Winnipeg, the owner pays for and installs the private pipes of a new sewer service connection, and only the City or a licensed sewer contractor may do the work, under a Service Permit from Water and Waste. After demolition, an existing service must be reused or abandoned within 18 months, and no new service is allowed until the old one is abandoned.
- Sewer By-law 106/2018 makes the owner responsible for installing and paying for private service pipes, done only by the City or a licensed sewer contractor (as checked September 2026).
- A Service Permit is needed to install, reuse or abandon a sewer service, and the Water By-law requires one for water services too.
- A detached secondary suite can extend its services from the house or take new ones from the mains, and the City asks for a capacity assessment request to Water and Waste.
- After demolition, a service must be reused or abandoned within 18 months, and a frozen water service cannot be reused.
- The City fee page lists $241 per water or sewer connection application and a $5,380 abandonment deposit per service, on a page last updated January 2025.
01 /Who may build a new sewer service in Winnipeg?
Only the City or a licensed sewer contractor may install a sewer service in Winnipeg, and the owner installs and pays for the private pipes, under Sewer By-law 106/2018 (as checked September 2026). Water By-law 107/2015 sets the same pattern for water services: a Service Permit and a licensed contractor. Before hiring, ask the contractor to confirm their City licence covers the work.
The by-law also controls how the job is closed out. Nothing may be backfilled until the City authorizes it, and the City may require record drawings within 90 days of the work. Plan the inspection before the trench is dug, because an unauthorized backfill can mean reopening it. Sewer tie-in inspection walks through what inspectors typically look at.
Manitoba adopts its own plumbing code. The City's bulletin 2025-004-P says connections taken off the house plumbing fall under the Manitoba Plumbing Code; confirm the edition in force and how it treats a second building on the same lot with the City before design.
02 /Which permits does each Winnipeg project type need?
Every new, reused or abandoned service needs a Water and Waste Service Permit, and every residential building permit needs a lot grading permit first under Lot Grading By-law 7294/98 (as checked September 2026). The table sorts the rest by project type.
| Project | What the source says | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| New house, or house with an interior suite | Service Permit for each new or reused service; licensed contractor; lot grading permit before the building permit | Whether the existing service meets the reuse criteria |
| Detached secondary suite | Extend services from the house or install new ones from the mains; licensed contractor; capacity assessment request to Water and Waste | Which option Water and Waste accepts for your lot |
| Accessory structure tied to a private service or main | Needs a Water and Waste Service Permit; branch off house plumbing follows the Manitoba Plumbing Code | Burial depth for the branch |
| Semi-detached or separate titles | Each building needs its own water shut-off; the City may allow more than one service (Water By-law s. 29) | Whether each title needs its own sanitary service |
| Multi-family | Wastewater and land drainage in separate pipes even in combined-sewer areas; stormwater control for the 5-year event and storage for the 25-year event | Site servicing drawings and capacity |
Detached suites are where Winnipeg gives owners a real choice. Extending from the house avoids a second street cut but loads the existing service; a new connection from the mains costs more but keeps the two buildings independent. Can a house have two sewer lines? sets out the trade-offs.
03 /What fees does Winnipeg publish for new connections?
Winnipeg lists a $241 application fee for a new or reused water connection and $241 for a sewer connection, $411 for a lot grading permit and a $5,380 deposit for each service to be abandoned (as checked September 2026). The page says the rates took effect January 1 and was last updated January 2, 2025, so they may be 2025 rates; confirm the current amounts with Water and Waste.
| Item | What the source says | As checked |
|---|---|---|
| New or reused water connection application | $241 | September 2026 |
| New or reused sewer connection application | $241 | September 2026 |
| Lot grading permit | $411 | September 2026 |
| Abandonment deposit, per service | $5,380 | September 2026 |
The City fees are small next to construction. Network planning ranges for 2026 put private trench and pipe at $1,000 to $2,000 per metre at the depths Winnipeg services are buried, plus $500 to $2,000 for mobilisation and locates, $600 to $2,500 for a cleanout and $500 to $15,000 or more for restoration. The abandonment deposit is money held, not spent, but it has to be available up front.
04 /Can you reuse an existing Winnipeg service after demolition?
Yes, if it meets the Director's criteria and you act within 18 months: the Sewer By-law requires an existing service to be reused or abandoned within 18 months of demolition, and it allows no new service until the existing one is abandoned (as checked September 2026). Reuse still needs a Service Permit. On the water side, the Water By-law bars reusing a service that has frozen.
Unused services are abandoned on multi-family sites too, according to the City's multi-family requirements. The by-law criteria are not summarized on the pages checked, so ask Water and Waste what evidence they want, such as a camera inspection, before you decide. The general logic is in reusing an existing sewer service.
05 /How deep are Winnipeg services, and what about backwater valves and sumps?
Bulletin 2025-004-P gives a burial depth of 2.3 to 2.75 m for a branch serving an accessory structure (as checked September 2026). At that depth every metre of trench is expensive, which is why suite placement on the lot matters.
- Backwater valves: required in new homes since 1979, according to the City sump pump discharge page.
- Sump pits: required in new homes since 1990, according to the same page.
- Frozen services: a water service that has frozen cannot be reused, under the Water By-law.
06 /What should you ask Winnipeg Water and Waste before you design?
- Are the $241 application fees and $5,380 abandonment deposit still current?
- For a detached suite, will you accept a branch from the house, or do you want a new service from the mains?
- What does the capacity assessment request need, and how long does it take?
- What evidence meets the Director's reuse criteria for my existing sewer?
- Will record drawings be required within 90 days, and who prepares them?
- How do I book the inspection before backfill?
Map your buildings and fixtures in the service connection planner, then request quotes from licensed contractors with the permit route settled.
FAQQuestions people ask
Can a Winnipeg homeowner install their own new sewer service connection?
No. Sewer By-law 106/2018 limits the work to the City or a licensed sewer contractor, under a Service Permit. The owner pays for the private pipes.
How long do I have to reuse a Winnipeg sewer service after demolishing the house?
Eighteen months. The by-law requires the service to be reused or abandoned within 18 months of demolition, and no new service is allowed until the old one is abandoned.
Does a Winnipeg detached secondary suite need a separate service connection from the main?
Not necessarily. The City's April 2026 application form allows services extended from the house or new ones from the mains, with a capacity assessment request to Water and Waste.
What deposit does Winnipeg hold when an old service connection is abandoned?
The City fee page lists $5,380 per service, on a page last updated January 2025 (as checked September 2026). Confirm the current amount.
How deep is an accessory building sewer branch buried in Winnipeg?
Bulletin 2025-004-P gives 2.3 to 2.75 m for a branch serving an accessory structure. Confirm the depth for your site with Water and Waste.
Which plumbing code applies to a Winnipeg garden suite branch off the house drain?
The City's bulletin says a connection off the house plumbing falls under the Manitoba Plumbing Code. Confirm the edition in force with the City.
SOURCESSources and further reading
- City of Winnipeg — Sewer By-law No. 106/2018
- City of Winnipeg — Water By-law No. 107/2015
- City of Winnipeg — Detached secondary suite application (April 2026)
- City of Winnipeg — Bulletin 2025-004-P, accessory structure services
- City of Winnipeg — Building permit water and sewer fees
- City of Winnipeg — Sump pump discharge and backwater valves
