Annual sanitary sewer flushing, video inspection and vapour testing

• Find and address any potential areas of leakage in the sanitary sewer pipes;
• Reduce the amount of inflow and infiltration of ground water entering the sanitary system;
• Improve efficiencies at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Timeframe: through end of June.

Video Inspections

Video inspections will aid the District in assessing and fixing the sewer system in these areas. There is no need for residents to be home during the video inspections as they will only occur in District-owned sanitary lines. Video inspection should have no impact to residents, but may require the contractor to enter a property to gain access to manholes located in easements.

IMPORTANT: The contractor will be flushing the sewer pipes prior to the video inspection. This can sometimes cause toilet water to bubble, and may case some splashing, so it is advised to keep the toilet lids down during the working hours. 

Vapour Testing

Vapour testing will help to identify possible leaks in the sewer system, which is a very important part of keeping the system running efficiently. The vapour residents may see coming from the sewer vent stacks on houses or holes in the ground is non-toxic, non-staining, white to gray in colour and creates no fire hazard. 

IMPORTANT: Although the vapour is non-toxic, it could cause irritation to any individuals in your home or business who have respiratory problems and are immobile. Please notify us as soon as possible if you have any respiratory problems so we can schedule accordingly.

To prevent vapour from entering your home, it is advised you pour approximately ½ litre of water into your floor drains and a small amount of water into all your sinks or other fixtures that have not been used for a long period of time. This will fill the trap and should prevent any vapour from getting into your home. 

If you detect vapour in your home, please contact the vapour testing crew. They will be working close by when this occurs.

The District of Squamish Fire Department has been notified of this work.