Backwater valve installation
Discuss valve placement, maintenance access, permit requirements and eligibility documents for your property.
Read moreDiagram keyFixtures below gradeBackwater valveBackup through the lateralHeavy rainCity sewer main
Ottawa homeowners
Backwater valves
and sump pumps
in Ottawa
Plan protection for your Ottawa basement.
Request an inspection or backwater valve quoteDescribe the water entry and share the details of your basement.
613 737-6768The sewer atlas
See where backups start
and what a valve can prevent.
During heavy rain, the sewer system can become overloaded. Backups can travel through the lateral into your home. A backwater valve helps stop that reverse flow.
Learn how it worksHeavy rain
More water enters the sewer system.
Sewer main overloaded
Water levels can rise in the city sewer.
Backup through lateral
Can enter through basement plumbing.
Backwater valve blocks reverse flow
Helps keep sewage out of your home.
Services
Sump pump installation and replacement
New sump pits, pump replacements and battery backups sized for Ottawa's storms.
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Sewer camera inspection
A camera run through your sewer lateral to find roots, sags, cracks and blockages before you dig.
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Drain and sewer line repair
Clearing, spot repairs and replacement of damaged drains and sewer laterals.
Read moreWhy Ottawa homeowners are installing backwater valves
When a summer storm dumps more rain than the sewers can carry, water can back up the sewer line and come up through the basement floor drain. Ottawa has had several of these storms in recent years, and older neighbourhoods get hit hardest.
A backwater valve is a flap in your main sewer line that lets water leave the house and closes when it tries to come back. A sump pump deals with groundwater and storm water around the foundation. Many insurers now ask about both before they will cover sewer backup.
The City of Ottawa's Residential Protective Plumbing program reimburses part of the cost for eligible homes: up to $1,000 for an interior backwater valve, $2,500 for an exterior storm backwater valve, $1,500 for a sump pump with battery backup in an existing pit, $3,000 for a sump pump with battery backup in a new pit, and the eligible plumbing-work permit fee. Check the City's current program rules before applying. The work must be done by a licensed plumbing contractor under a permit.
Guides
Ottawa protective plumbing rebate: who qualifies and what it pays
A plain guide to the City of Ottawa's Residential Protective Plumbing Program: eligible homes, rebate amounts by device as published in 2026, the permit, and the…
Sewer backups in Ottawa: backwater valves vs sump pumps
Why Ottawa basements take on sewer water in heavy storms, what a backwater valve and a sump pump each protect against, and how insurance treats sewer backup.
Where sewer backups happen in Ottawa: 311 reports by ward
Seven years of City of Ottawa 311 records on basement flooding from sewer backups, ranked by ward, with the months they happen and what homeowners in the busiest wards…
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