Water Line Repair and Replacement in Ajax, Ontario

What a failing water line looks like in an Ajax home

Pressure that drops at every tap at once, rather than at one faucet, points to the supply instead of a fixture. Rule out the simple causes first: the Region notes that a watermain break in the neighbourhood, or a valve entering the home that has not been opened all the way, can both cut pressure, and asks residents to call its Works depot in either case.

A leak gives itself away in other ways. The Region's leak detection advice is to make sure no water is being used and watch the meter's flow indicator; if the red triangle or dial keeps spinning, you may have a leak. A wet or unusually green strip of lawn between the street and the house during dry weather suggests that somewhere is the buried service line.

Permits from the Town of Ajax

Plumbing permits in Ajax are issued by the Town's Building Services, through its Online Application Portal or by email to buildingpermits@ajax.ca. The Town's list of permit forms includes a form for sizing the water service pipe.

Once a permit is issued, the permit card has to be posted on site, and inspections are booked online or through the Town's inspection line at 905-619-2529 with at least 24 hours' notice. Work must start within six months of the permit being issued.

Lead pipes and Region programs in Ajax

If your Ajax home was built before the mid-1950s, the Region advises that it may have a lead service. For homes on municipal water built before 1990, the Region offers a no-cost lead test of the drinking water, using a sample kit you fill at the kitchen tap and return to the York-Durham Regional Environmental Laboratory.

When lead is confirmed and the private section is being replaced, the Region's Lead Service Replacement Program replaces the Region-owned section at no cost to you. The application needs either a signed agreement with your contractor showing the private side will be replaced at the same time, or an invoice showing it already was. Health Canada's guidance is that removing the full lead service line is the best way to cut lead in drinking water.

Cost of water line work in Ajax

Using our 2026 cost guide's figures for leak and drain line repair, we plan a spot repair at $500 to $1,500 and a full line replacement at $3,000 to $10,000. The distance from the property line to the house, the depth of the pipe and what has to be lifted and restored above it move the price within that range, and the Town of Ajax sets its permit fee in its building by-law. We confirm the full price in writing after a free in-home estimate.