Sewer Services

The sewers main lines collect all the wastewater from homes and businesses in town and transfer this waste water to a holding facility where it is treated and then released upon the approval of Alberta Environment.  Everything that is pour down a drain or flushed in a toilet is release into a sewer.

The annual cleaning program makes our sewers operate more efficiently by assisting in the preventing of blockages and backups.

How the Program Works

This program is done once a year; usually in the fall and takes about a week to complete.  This process is completed by using water under pressure that is pushed through the lines.  Dirt and debris is then sucked up through a manhole by a vacuum truck and disposed of.

 

 

Home Owners’ Simple steps: Before the cleaning starts.

Occasionally during the cleaning, air pressure in the sewer can cause water to splash out through toilets, sinks and drains.  Here are a few quick and simple precautions that a home owner do ahead of time.

• Close the lids on all toilet bowls when not in use.
• Insert drain plugs in all sinks and bathtubs when not in use.
• If you have a backflow prevention valve installed in your house, ensure that it is free of debris and operating properly.
• Cover floor drains in basements with a thick plastic. Place something heavy on top to hold it in place.

Once there is no more equipment on your street, you can put all things back as they were.

During or After: Odors

Some residents have reported that they will get an odor in their home while the cleaning is taking place.  This can be normal but rarely happens here with the cleaning process. 

If you do experience this, run some water down the sink and bathtub drains, flush your toilets and pour a pail of water down your basement floor drains and of course open some windows.  After a short time, the odor will disappear.