By Tyler Marr

City to study sanitary sewer line breaches that lead to backups

Mar 11, 2018 | 11:00 AM

Does water oftentimes backup into your basement during heavy rainfall? The city is looking into why that may occur.

Plans are underway to conduct an inflow and infiltration study on the city’s sanitary sewer system. It will examine the impacts to the line and identify areas where excess water is entering the system. Periodically, surge events caused by heavy rainfall can overwhelm the wastewater treatment plant and occasionally lead to spills into the North Saskatchewan River as well as sewage backups in unprotected basements. Excess water can seep into the system from old or cracked manhole covers and pipes.

The study will advise the city on where improvements can be made to reduce upgrading costs at the wastewater treatment plant and other expenses incurred from flooding.

Jeff Da Silva, the city’s engineering services manager, said a common issue that leads to basement backflows is when residents unknowingly have weeping tile tied directly into the sanitary line.

“Residents need to ensure they have functioning backflow prevention valves on their line,” he said.

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He said the study will look at measures the city can implement in terms of policy or bylaw to steer residents away from practices that can have a negative impact on their homes.

“I think that is so helpful,” Ward 8 Coun. Ted Zurakowski said. “I have met so many residents who bought a home and found out their weeping tile is tied to their sanitation line.”

He said a bylaw restricting poor practices on new builds and renovations could pay positive dividends for the city.

Another issue the city has identified as perhaps causing excess water to seep into sanitation line is buildings along Central Ave. that have no downspouts.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr