Consolidated Linear Infrastructure - Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI-ECA) Applications for Municipal System Alterations

The MECP has introduced a modernized approach to low-risk municipal linear infrastructure permissions that applies to the municipal sanitary sewage conveyance and stormwater management system. The approach reduces the burden on municipalities, developers and the MECP, while imposing a consistent set of conditions to improve environmental protection. CLI-ECAs are issued to municipalities and include conditions that authorize the municipalities and prescribed persons, such as developers, to make changes to the sanitary sewage or stormwater system when requirements in the CLI-ECA are met.

Under the process, development project owners are no longer required to submit individual “pipe-by-pipe” ECA applications for future alterations if the proposed works meet the conditions of pre-authorization, as outlined in the respective CLI-ECA Schedule D of permits, along with all other conditions approved by the MECP Design Criteria (PDF). 

As of late 2022, the City of Vaughan’s sanitary and stormwater systems have been approved for CLI-ECA. These CLI-ECAs encompass the low-risk components of the municipal sewage collection system and stormwater management system into single permits for each: 

• City of Vaughan’s Municipal Sewage Collection System CLI-ECA (011-W601) (PDF)
• City of Vaughan’s Municipal Stormwater Management System CLI-ECA (011-S701) (PDF)

The CLI-ECA system streamlines the approval process for proposed alterations to the City’s sanitary and stormwater systems. By consolidating existing infrastructure, the City can ensure a holistic approach to environmental compliance and consistent application of environmental standards. 

The City’s CLI-ECA approval process covers most alterations (additions, modifications, replacements and extensions) that meet the pre-authorization requirements of the MECP’s municipal sewage collection system CLI-ECA (011-W601) (PDF) and stormwater management system  CLI-ECA (011-S701) (PDF). These are works that are owned, or will be owned, and operated by the City. These projects do not require a direct submission to the MECP and can be approved by the City under its respective CLI-ECA permit. 

Examples include:

• changing, replacing or extending sanitary sewers and storm sewers, including extensions into new residential developments.
• adding new sewage pumping stations or changing existing sewage pumping stations.
• adding new stormwater management facilities or changing existing facilities (e.g. wet ponds, infiltration basins, engineered wetlands and oil grit separators).

If you are a developer or prescribed person, refer to the relevant City CLI-ECA to:

• determine if your project meets the pre-authorization requirements and if the proposed works are built as per MECP Design Criteria (PDF).
• assess if the works meet the requirements of pre-authorized alterations under the City’s CLI-ECA permit or if you are required to make a Schedule C amendment. A Schedule C amendment application must be co-signed by the City.

Please note: 

• Sewage works on industrial or commercial land, or that are privately owned, do not need to be submitted to the City for approval. However, these works may still need approval from the MECP or other City approvals, such as those outlined in the City’s planning process. 
• Non-standard or complex alterations to municipal infrastructure related to development that do not meet the conditions of the CLI-ECA will require a separate application to the MECP and must be reviewed and approved by the City’s Development Engineering department before proceeding. If the work qualifies for direct submission to the MECP, refer to the Ministry’s guide to applying for an environmental compliance approval. 
• Any infrastructure project adjacent to watercourses, including valleys, lake shorelines, wetlands and others, will require a permit issued under O. Reg 166/06 by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

The City’s Sewage Collection System involves the collection and transmission of sewage, consisting of trunk sewers, sewers, sewage pumping stations and forcemains, with discharge into the Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant, G.E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant and Kleinburg Water Resource Recovery Facility. 

 The following list of alterations can be pre-authorized by the City under its CLI-ECA permit (011-W601) (PDF):

• Future alterations (additions, modifications, replacements and extensions) for separate sewers, nominally separate sewers and forcemains. Refer to section 4.0 of the permit.
• Future alterations (adding, modifying or replacing) to components of the Municipal Sewage Collection System. Refer to section 6.0 of the permit.
• Future alterations (adding, modifying or replacing) to equipment with air emissions. Refer to section 7.0 of the permit.

Please refer to the relevant sections (Schedule D 3.11, 4.2, 7.3 or 7.4) of the permit for works not pre-authorized under CLI-ECA and those exempt (Schedule D 4.4, 6.10 or 7.7) from the verification and documentation requirements of the permit. 

Where an alteration is not authorized under the Schedule D 3.11 and 3.12 conditions of the permit, an application on the alteration must be submitted to the MECP and the alteration cannot proceed unless an approval is granted. 

The City’s Stormwater Management System involves storm sewers, culverts, ditches, stormwater management facilities and outlets. The permit covers the entire Municipal Stormwater Management System owned and operated by the City. The permit does not cover municipally or privately owned stormwater works on industrial, commercial or institutional land. 

The following list of alterations can be pre-authorized by the City under its CLI-ECA permit (011-S701) (PDF):

• Future alterations (additions, modifications, replacements and extensions) to storm sewers, ditches or Culverts. Refer to section 4.0 of the permit.
• Future alterations (additions, modifications, replacements and extensions) to stormwater management facilities. Refer to section 5.0 of the permit.
• Future alterations (additions, modifications, replacements and extensions) for the third pipe collection system. Refer to section 6.0 of the permit.

Please refer to relevant sections (Schedule D 3.1, 3.13, 4.3 or 5.3) of the permit for works not pre-authorized under CLI-ECA and those exempt (Schedule D 4.5, 5.6 or 6.3) from the verification and documentation requirements of the permit. 

The alterations authorized under this approval are limited to sewage works comprising the authorized system, which does not include municipally or privately owned stormwater works. This includes the following:

• on industrial, commercial or institutional land;
• serving a single parcel of land, unless the stormwater management facility is located on a municipally owned park or community center;
• that are operated as waste disposal sites defined under the Environmental Protection Agency or snow removal facilities; or,
• that propose to collect, store, treat or discharge stormwater containing substances or pollutants (other than total suspended solids or oil and grease) detrimental to the environment or human health.

Where an alteration is not pre-authorized under the conditions of the permit, an application on the alteration must be submitted to the MECP and the alteration cannot proceed unless an approval is granted. 

The process for completing a CLI-ECA application is outlined below: 

Image

All development applications must go through the City’s planning process. The City’s Development Engineering department reviews and approves development applications and supporting documents for pre-authorized alterations under the City’s CLI-ECA. To help with the final approval, incorporate the requirements of the City’s CLI-ECA permit into the design when submitting the application to the City’s Development Engineering department. Please refer to the design guidelines (section 5.) for more information. 

You must include the following information in your application for pre-authorized alterations under the conditions in Schedule D of the City’s CLI-ECA:

1. Applicable MECP forms 
2. Supporting documentation 
3. Application fee 

1. Municipal sewage collection system

• Form A1 – Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Equipment Discharging a Contaminant of Concern to the Atmosphere from a Municipal Sewage Collection System
• Form SS1 – Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Separate Sewers/Nominally Separate Sewers/Forcemains
• Form SS2 – Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Components of the Municipal Sewage Collection System

2. Municipal Stormwater management system

• Form SW1 – Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Storm Sewers/Ditches/Culverts
• Form SW2 – Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Stormwater Management Facilities
• Form SW3 – Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Third Pipe Collection Systems

Please use the most recent version of the MECP’s form(s), and ensure all applicable design guidelines, engineering standards and specifications available at the time of the alteration design are used. 

If the proposed works include an alteration to both the Sewage Collection and Stormwater Management System, separate application packages must be submitted for each CLI-ECA record of future alteration forms.

Upon approval of the engineering drawings and Development Engineering department’s verification for pre-authorized works under the CLI-ECA, the Engineer of Record must submit the following documents to the City:

1. Ministry form(s) with Parts 1, 2 and 3.
   • Please include the City’s CLI-ECA number #011-W601 in Part 1 of the application for alteration of sanitary sewage infrastructure.
   • Please include the City’s CLI-ECA number #011-S701 in Part 1 of the application for alteration of stormwater infrastructure.

2. Approved plan and profile drawings, stamped and sealed by the Engineer of Record, identifying at a minimum:
   • the location(s) of the undertaking (e.g. street names, easements, discharge points, slope); and
   • the details associated with the alteration as noted on each respective MECP form and/or approved plan drawing. If reference to a general plan is being made in Part 2, the same must be clearly highlighted or indicated in the general plan and stamped and sealed by the Engineer of Record. Items not clearly and explicitly mentioned in Part 2 of the respective form will not be considered a part of the approved form.

3. The following documents, as applicable, depending on the system being altered:
   • For the Municipal Sewage Collection System:
     • Sanitary sewers hydraulic design sheets and drainage area plans.
     • A design report or equivalent detailing the engineer’s design decisions and rationale, especially where high groundwater and/or other inflow and infiltration risk factors exist.
     • MECP Pipe Data Form.
     • Sewage pumping station design report including buoyancy calculations, forcemain hydraulic calculations, assessment of transient pressures, wet well and emergency storage tank sizing, design flows and firm capacity and headworks.
     • Electrical systems, including standby power, and controls and instrumentation description, including alarms (if the application is for a sewage pumping station).
     • HVAC systems and hazard ratings throughout the station – risk assessment.
     • Contingency plans for emergency and pump failure situations (if the application is for a sewage pumping station).
     • Contingency plans for possible overflows (if the application involves a forcemain or siphon).
     • Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) plans or measures.
     • Inspection and Testing Plan, as outlined in the MECP design criteria.
     • Any other requirements as required in the CLI-ECA or requested by City staff.
   • For the Stormwater Management System:
     • Stormwater management plans/design report (including lot level and conveyance controls).
     • A description of the water quality and quantity criteria.
     • Stormwater monitoring reports and plans.
     • Storm sewer design report, design sheets and drainage area plans, including hydraulic performance of the system verifying storm sewer capture rates and major and minor system capacities.
     • Source water protection – identification of vulnerable areas, applicable source protection policies, best management practices and mitigation measures, as applicable. 
     • MECP Pipe Data Form.
     • Stormwater pumping station design report.
     • Oil/grit separators design brief, calculations and manufacturer specifications.
     • Low Impact Development design brief and reports.
     • Erosion Sediment Control (ESC) measures, as per Appendix A of the City’s Stormwater CLI-ECA (PDF).
     • Inspection and Testing Plan, as outlined in the MECP design criteria.
     • Any other requirements as required in the CLI-ECA or requested by City staff.

The City collects the application fee for the CLI-ECA review for the addition and/or alteration of storm and sanitary infrastructure per the Fees and Charges By-law 026-2024 (PDF), as amended or replaced. 

Paying the application fee(s)

Mail a cheque payable to "The Corporation of the City of Vaughan" quoting the site information (project name, property address and/or owner’s name).

Alternatively, you can pay upon execution of an Agreement with the City of Vaughan that supports the works through the development application. The Agreements listed below are administered by the Development Engineering department, and the collection of fees is facilitated within the Schedules of the Agreements:

• Development Agreement
• Spine Servicing Agreement
• Subdivision Agreement
• Pre-Servicing Agreement
• Front-ending Agreement

Please check with the City’s assigned staff for the preferred mode of payment for your project.

To submit your application, email the completed application package to:

• the City’s assigned Project Manager for capital projects.
• the City’s assigned Development Engineering Reviewer for development projects.

The processing time for complete CLI-ECA pre-approved alteration applications to the City is estimated to be between four to eight weeks. Upon approval, applicants will be given a response letter and approval signed by the City.

Incomplete or inaccurate applications that result in requests for additional information and/or re-review, or fees not paid on time, can delay the approval. Processing times may increase during peak construction season.

• Appendix A - Stormwater Management Criteria (PDF)
• Asset Management Plans (Core Assets) (PDF)
• Credit Valley Conservation Lessons Learned: Stormwater Management and Low Impact Development Monitoring and Performance Assessment Guide 
• Design Criteria (PDF) for Sanitary Sewers, Storm Sewers and Forcemains for Alterations Authorized under Environmental Compliance Approval
• Engineering Design Criteria and Standard Drawings
• TRCA Low Impact Development Stormwater Planning and Design Guide 
• MECP Design Guidelines for Sewage Works 
• MECP Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Guidance Manual
• MECP Stormwater Management Planning and Design Guidance Manual
• TRCA Erosion and Sediment Control Guideline for Urban Construction
• TRCA Guidelines and Permit Forms 
• TRCA Inspection and Maintenance Guide for Stormwater Management Facilities 
• TRCA Low Impact Development Stormwater Inspection and Maintenance Guide 
• Vaughan's Planning Process
• Source Water Protection