A City of Oshawa tree caused sewage to back up in this woman’s home. But the region won’t cover plumbing costs

An Oshawa woman has a warning for homeowners after Durham Region declined to cover $1,600 in plumbing costs caused by a city-owned tree.

Bev Fiddler says the region is applying its bylaw unfairly, punishing her and her husband for acting quickly early this year to fix damage they didn’t cause. 

“There is no room for flexibility or no room to at least hear the homeowner’s position,” she said. 

Fiddler was doing laundry in her basement around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 3, when she noticed the sink wasn't draining. Her husband tried to use a plunger, but they saw the water that returned had raw sewage in it. 

They then noticed water “spilling out” from the sealed water main drain in their basement’s electrical room, she says. 

“It was coming out quickly and it was like it’s going to start flooding,” she said. 

The couple used towels to mop the water, then called an emergency plumbing service. The plumber removed the water main seal and found a “massive tree root” blocking the water main and causing the damage, she says. 

According to Fiddler, the plumber told them that the tree responsible, about nine metres from their house, was the City of Oshawa’s responsibility. 

The city's bylaw says the region will clean sewer services, including unblocking, but if a person does the cleaning themselves or hires someone to do it “without the region’s authorization … there will be no reimbursement.” 

After paying the plumber, Fiddler contacted the city, which said it would cover the seal in the watermain to prevent further damage. That was done within two weeks, she says. 

The city also advised her she could submit a claim to get reimbursed for the plumbing services on the region’s website, she says.

But by July, Fiddler says she still hadn’t heard back from the region. When she followed up, the region told her they declined to reimburse her on Jan. 27 — though Fiddler says she didn’t get that email.

That denial was the first time Fiddler learned about the region’s bylaw, she says.

She was also told by the region her only option to appeal the decision was to go to court, which she says would cost her thousands more in legal fees.