Sanitary Sewer Inflow and Infiltration

COMPLETED

The District will be performing video inspection and vapour testing of the sanitary sewer system in numerous neighbourhoods throughout Squamish.

Project goals:

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.

Details:

This project consists of two parts: video inspection and vapor testing (completed).

Affected areas (view the maps):

Garibaldi Highlands
Large portions of Brackendale
Tantalus Road
Industrial Park
North Yards
Dentville
Hospital Hill

Impact

Video inspection has virtually no impact to residents but may require the contractor to enter the property to gain access to manholes located in easements to video the sanitary pipes. The contractor will be flushing the sanitary pipes prior to the video inspection which may cause toilet water to bubble and may cause some splashing. It is advised to keep the toilet lids down during the working hours.

There is no need for residents to be home during these inspections. If you are aware of the location of any manholes on your property, please feel free to share that information with video inspection staff. Your first-hand knowledge of your property is very helpful and appreciated.

Vapour testing sends a white to gray vapour that is non-toxic, non-staining, and has no odour through the sanitary system which includes the sanitary pipes on your property and in your home.

The vapour is not harmful in any way or to anyone. 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.

Video inspection/vapor testing contractor: Dave Gonyea, Contractor Manager | cell: 250.815.5775

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

Background

Inflow and infiltration (I&I) into the sanitary sewer system has been identified as a major inefficiency for sanitary lift stations and the waste water treatment plant. The District of Squamish has been actively investigation the sanitary system for deficiencies since 2012. The 2016 CCTV program represents the balance of the sanitary system which will be a valuable input into the Sanitary Master Plan which is expected to be complete by the end of 2016.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is the industry standard to determine where I&I is occurring. Once a CCTV review is complete, an I&I report is generated with prioritized recommendations for rehabilitation to problem areas. Sanitary system rehabilitation extends the service life of the sanitary lift stations rather than completing costly capacity upgrades. An additional benefit of reducing I&I is reduced operating costs for pumping and treatment of stormwater.

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