Separate utility disconnections from underground locates

Create a list of known water, sewer, gas, electrical and communication connections affecting the removal. Identify the provider or responsible party, the requested action and whether it is requested, scheduled or completed. Keep written completion information with the project file.

Windsor’s demolition by-law addresses completed disconnections with the proper authorities. Other municipalities publish their own clearance instructions. A closed customer account, an unused appliance or a meter that appears inactive should not be offered as proof that a service is safe to disturb.

Ontario’s underground-locate service explains that infrastructure owners respond to locate requests and that the full responses must be reviewed before excavation. It also distinguishes design-and-planning information from valid locate paperwork for digging.

If the scope involves ground disturbance, the responsible excavator should confirm the required locate process, the work area and any privately owned infrastructure that needs separate attention. Do not assume a demolition enquiry includes excavation, or that a utility disconnection identifies every buried service on the site.

Ask who will obtain each record, who checks it and which activity must wait for it. Include services that remain for an occupied part of the property. A partial strip-out can require careful separation between what stays operational and what is being removed.

Give YAK the status summary during assessment. Do not attempt disconnections or exploratory digging to make an enquiry easier. If the removal boundary or ground-work area changes, return to the responsible providers and professionals to confirm what must be updated.