In short
- Seven in ten Westboro homes are detached, and most went up between 1900 and 1960.
- Lead service pipes are a pre-1958 issue in Ottawa, and the City offers a lookup by address.
- In 2019 the City asked about 40 Westboro households near Churchill Avenue North to limit water use while it looked at a stressed sanitary sewer.
- Ottawa homeowners reported $3,250–$15,000 for a water main leak, average $9,125 (HomeStars Ottawa).
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water main leakage | $3,250–$15,000 | Ottawa jobs reported by homeowners, average $9,125 |
| Blocked drain | $124–$8,500 | Ottawa, average $1,112 |
| Fix a leak | $100–$800 | Ottawa, average $450 |
| Toilet repair | $142–$1,000 | Ottawa, average $344 |
Sources. HomeStars, Plumbing Services Cost Guide for Ottawa, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026. City of Ottawa, How can I tell if I have a lead service pipe?, seen 29.10.2026. City of Ottawa, Causes of basement flooding, seen 29.10.2026. City of Ottawa, How to prevent basement flooding, seen 29.10.2026. Global News, Ottawa floods: sewer issues in Westboro, 02.05.2019, seen 29.10.2026. Area facts: Wikipedia, Westboro, Ottawa, read 29.10.2026.
A streetcar suburb on the river
Westboro’s first boom came in the late 1800s, with flyers selling Laurentian views across the Ottawa River. It was a police village from 1903 until 1949, when Ottawa annexed it, and a streetcar line along Byron Avenue brought residents to what was then close to cottage country. Many cottage-like houses are still standing, especially by the river north of Scott Street.
Richmond Road is the commercial centre, and condominium projects have added more residents along it. A plumber here meets old detached houses, many with additions, beside a growing stock of infill and condos.
Older houses, older service lines
The age range matters first for the water service, the pipe from the street to your meter. For a house older than 1958, the City’s address lookup says whether a lead service pipe may be in the ground. The visible part sits between the basement floor and the water meter. Our Nepean page explains who owns which section of that pipe.
A leak on that line is a larger job than a fixture repair. Homeowners in Ottawa reported $3,250 to $15,000 for water main leakage, average $9,125, and the guide excludes extra material and labour. Signs include low pressure, a wet patch on the lawn or a bill that climbs while no tap is open. Close the shut-off if you can reach it and send the request.
Drains in houses with additions
Houses from the early 1900s have often been extended with a rear kitchen, a second bathroom or a finished basement. Each addition ties into the old drain. A blockage can sit at a joint between old and new pipe, which is why a camera look is worth asking about. The sewer camera inspection page shows what the visit includes, and the drain cleaning cost guide shows how quotes are built. Ottawa homeowners reported $124 to $8,500 for a blocked drain, a spread that tracks where the problem sits.
The 2019 episode on Churchill Avenue North
The episode near Churchill Avenue North in early May 2019 shows how a shared sewer reaches into private basements: for a few days 40 or so homes held off on showers, toilets and laundry at the City’s request. A backwater valve is the device built for that moment.
Backwater valves and cast iron
The City names a blocked or damaged main and heavy rain as the ways sewage gets into a house without a working valve. In a Westboro basement with cast iron drains, the valve hinge is the part to watch, since rust there can keep the gate from closing. See the backwater valve page and the backwater valve subsidy guide.
Infill and condos on Richmond Road
New builds in older areas may have more modern sewer connections than the houses next door. Say in the request if the house is a rebuild, and for a condo give the property manager’s contact, because the building may control the main shut-off.
Who you are dealing with
Your Westboro request goes to one independent plumbing company working the west-central side of Ottawa, chosen by area. It calls you, looks at the service line or the drain, and writes its own price; the desk is only the go-between.
Questions to ask the company
- For a house built before 1960, which pipe materials do you expect between the street and my meter?
- If the water service line needs work, which part is mine and which part is the City's?
- Does the quote include a camera look at the drain before you quote a repair?
- If you replace a fixture, can you leave the old shut-off valves in working order or replace them too?
- Will the written price list labour, parts, disposal and HST?
Have this ready for the call
- Street, nearest main road (Richmond Road, Churchill Avenue, Carling Avenue, Island Park Drive) and postal code
- Year the house was built and any known renovation, such as a rear kitchen addition or a basement finish
- Photos of the pipe where the water service enters, the meter and the shut-off valve
- Where the basement floor drain and any cleanout cap sit
- Notes on the symptom: slow drain, low pressure, discoloured water, a wet spot on the lawn
Questions people ask
Where does Westboro start and stop?
The community association uses the Transitway to the north, Tweedsmuir Avenue to the east, Carling Avenue to the south and Denbury Avenue to the west. Westboro Beach has its own association to the north. Neighbours such as Island Park, McKellar Park and Wellington West are close. Write your street and the company will confirm.
Why did the City ask Westboro homes to limit water in 2019?
During the spring 2019 floods the City said a sanitary sewer near Churchill Avenue North was under stress for a reason staff could not identify, and called it unique and isolated. About 40 households were asked not to run showers, toilets, dishwashers or washers for a time to lower basement-flooding risk.
Do infill houses in Westboro have the same sewer connections as the old ones?
The City notes that new buildings, or infill, in older areas may have more modern sewer connections than the older homes around them. Tell the company if the house is a rebuild, because the foundation drain and sanitary lateral may differ from the neighbour’s.
My old house has cast iron drain pipes. Does a backwater valve need extra care?
The City says older homes, especially those with cast iron pipes, may need additional maintenance because rust can build up at the valve hinge and keep it from closing during a surcharge. Ask the company to check the hinge and the access cap whenever it opens the valve.
