Town Engineer's FAQ

Welcome to a list of the most Frequently Asked Questions of the Town Engineer. This is not an all inclusive list. If you have a question that does not appear in FAQ, please contact the Town Engineer at 860-693-7855 or by email at kwassall@townofcantonct.org :

1. Do you have information on my well and septic system?

This information is available from the Farmington Valley Health District 860-676-1953.

This information is available from the Connecticut Water Company 1-800-286-5700.

3. Who do I contact to find out if my home can be connected to public water?

This information is available from the Connecticut Water Company 1-800-286-5700.

4. How far from the edge of the road does the Town’s responsibility extend?

There is no definite answer to this as each property is different. It can vary from no responsibility in the case of a State Highway, to the face of a stonewall or wire fence or the edge of pavement on an old highway, or to the monumented highway line on a newer subdivision. Each request must be examined individually and a determination made based upon the information available in the Town Clerk’s records. The question should be referred to the Town Engineer at 860-693-7855

5. Is my road a Town maintained highway?

The list of Town maintained roads is available from the Town Engineer at 860-693-7855 or by stopping into the office on the second floor of the Town Hall located at 4 Market Street in the Collinsville section of Canton. Roadways under construction are private ways even if they are planned to be future Town roads. Maintenance of a private way is responsibility of the owner of the property. A road is not a Town road until either the Board of Selectmen or Town Meeting accepts it into the network of Town maintained roads.

The following roads are maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) District 4 Thomaston, CT office 860-585-2710:

Albany Turnpike US 44 & US 44/US 202 from the Simsbury Town Line to the New Hartford Town Line 

Bridge Street Conn179 from Maple Ave (SR 565) and River Road (Conn 179) to Torrington Avenue at Bridge Street

Canton Road Conn 179 from Bridge Street (Conn 179) at Torrington Avenue to the Burlington Town Line

Cherry Brook Road Conn 179 from Maple Avenue (Conn 179) at Bridge Street (SR 565) to Albany Turnpike (US 44)  

Dowd Avenue Conn 565 from East Hill Road to Albany Turnpike (US 44/US 202). This highway is not signed with a route number. 

Lovely Street - Conn 177 from the Avon Town Line to Albany Turnpike (US 44/US 202)

Maple Avenue Conn 565 from East Hill Road to River Road (Conn 179) and Bridge Street (Conn 179). This highway is not signed with a route number.

US 202 from Albany Turnpike (US 44/US 202) to the New Hartford Town Line

West Simsbury Road Conn 309 from Cherry Brook Road (Conn 179) to the Simsbury Town Line

6. Do you have information concerning utilities at a particular location?

Not all utilities are available at all locations in Town. Questions in regards to service availability should be directed to the individual utility. The Town Engineer can answer general questions in regards the types of service available, but he does not have site specific information. The following is a list of the public utilities providing service to the community:

a. Natural gas service is provided by CNG contact 860-727-3000

b. Electric power is provided by CL&P contact 860-947-2000

c. Telephone service is provided by AT&T. Customer service numbers may be found in the front of the White Pages.  

d. Public water service is provided by Conn Water Company contact 800-286-5700

e. Public sanitary sewer service is provided by the Canton Water Pollution Control Authority contact 860-693-7867

f. Cable TV service is provided by ComCast contact 866-728-1702

Before doing digging of any kind, you must call Call Before You Dig at 1-800-922-4455 at least two business days before you plan to dig..  Call Before You Dig will arrange to have all underground utilities marked on the ground before you dig.

7. What is the zoning on my property?

The answer to this question is dependent upon the location of the property within the Town and consultation with the Zoning Map. It may require the question to be referred to the Town Planner at 860-693-7856.

The answer to this question is dependent upon the location of the property within the Town and consultation with the Inland Wetlands Map. It may require a Certified Soil Scientist to verify the location or absence of wetlands. If you are planning work on your property in a watercourse or a wetland you must obtain a permit from the Canton Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency (IWWA) prior to starting the project.   Questions should be  referred to the IWWA Authorized Agent at 860-693-7892.

This question should be referred to the Building Official at 860-693-7854.

There are potentially many parts to this question, as a number of local agencies may need to give permission prior to construction. There is usually no simple one step answer to this question and it will need to be researched with other staff members. The question should be generally be referred to the Town Planner at 860-693-7856.

Not without a permit from the Canton Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency (IWWA). The IWWA's Authorized Agent should be contacted at 860-693-7892 prior to any planned activity in a wetlands or a watercourse.

It depends on the location of the property. If the cutting of timber is within 100’ of the Farmington River, it is regulated by the Zoning Commission and the party should be referred to the Town Planner at 860-693-7856. If the cutting of timber or the construction of haul roads is within 100’ of a wetland soil or a watercourse, the activity is regulated by the Canton Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency (IWWA) and the IWWA's Authorized Agent should be contacted at 860-693-7892 prior to start of any activity.

13. Can the Town Engineer prepare engineering drawings or perform land surveys for private property owners?

No, the Town Engineer can not perform engineering or land surveying services for private parties.