Backwater Valve Subsidies in Edmonton and Sherwood Park
Last updated
A backwater valve stops sewage from backing up into your basement. In Edmonton, EPCOR pays up to $800 toward one for eligible homes. In Sherwood Park, Strathcona County rebates up to 50% of the cost, to a maximum of $1,200. Both programs are mainly for homes built before 1989, when backwater valves weren’t required, and both have steps you must follow.
What a backwater valve does
A backwater valve sits on your home’s main sewer line. Wastewater flows out normally. When the city sewer backs up, a flap closes so that water can’t flow back into your basement. The City of Edmonton notes that backwater valves largely prevent sewer backup.
Backwater valves were not required in Edmonton homes built before 1989, so many older homes don’t have one.
EPCOR subsidy (Edmonton)
EPCOR pays up to $800 toward an interior or exterior backwater valve.
Who it’s for
EPCOR’s program targets Edmonton homes that:
- were built before 1989,
- have had basement flooding from sanitary sewer backup, or
- are in areas of Edmonton with previous neighbourhood flooding.
The home must also be separately serviced (a single-family home or duplex), must not already have a backwater valve, and must not have received the subsidy before.
The steps
- Hire a professional plumber to install an eligible model: Adapt-a-Valve, Branch Line, Fullport, Retrofit or Top Check Fullport.
- Get the City of Edmonton inspection. You need the green inspection sticker with the permit number.
- Apply to EPCOR by emailing a copy of the sticker, the paid installation invoice and the completed application form, as described on EPCOR’s subsidy page.
EPCOR’s pre-approval inspection requirement is suspended until further notice. Subsidies depend on available funding and are first come, first served, with no guarantee.
EPCOR’s free flood prevention inspection
Separately, EPCOR offers a free flood prevention home inspection for homes in the City of Edmonton. The full interior and exterior inspection runs April to October, weather permitting, and interior inspections are available year-round. It’s a good way to find other ways water could get in.
Strathcona County rebate (Sherwood Park)
Strathcona County rebates up to 50% of supply and installation, to a maximum of $1,200.
Who it’s for
Single-family homes or separately serviced side-by-side duplexes that were built before 1989 and are served by the County’s sewer system. One rebate per location.
The steps
- Get permits from the County’s Planning and Development.
- Have the valve installed by your contractor.
- Get the plumbing inspection from Planning and Development.
- Apply by mail or fax with the rebate form, your purchase receipt and a copy of the plumbing permit, as described on the County’s rebate page.
Permits and inspection approval must be complete before any rebate is issued.
Other towns
We didn’t find published backwater valve rebates for St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Leduc, Beaumont or Fort Saskatchewan. The City of Fort Saskatchewan recommends that homeowners without a valve consider installing one. Check with your municipality before you book work, in case a program has started.
Is it worth it?
If your home doesn’t have a backwater valve, and you’ve had a backup or live in an area that floods, it’s worth asking about. Some insurers ask about backwater valves when you buy sewer backup coverage. Ask your broker. See overland flood vs sewer backup insurance.
Who installs them
We clean up after sewer backups. For installation, our sister company Edmonton Sewer Repair installs backwater valves and can check your sewer line with a camera at the same time.