Water and Sewer

Water Sampling Program

The City of Fort Saskatchewan will be undertaking a Drinking Water Sampling Program for Lead this summer (July), where we will be taking samples from homes/buildings in certain areas of Fort Saskatchewan.

More information on our Water Sampling Program

The City of Fort Saskatchewan purchases water through a regional water supply commission, from EPCOR, who is responsible for water treatment. View EPCOR's Water Quality Reports.

Meter Reading Upgrades:

  • The City installed remote collection devices on water meters to speed-up data collection
  • The City is upgrading to an automated data collection system for real-time water measurement
  • The City is creating a free downloadable app for real-time monitoring of water use and billing

Bulk Water Station

The Truck Fill / Bulk Water Station is operated by Public Works and serves residential, commercial, and industrial water haulers.

Drainage and Stormwater Management

The City's stormwater management system gathers rainfall and surface water runoff to help reduce flooding.

Leak Detection

Do you have a leak?

Sewer

The City is responsible for the pipe from your property line to the sewer main, and for roots intruding sewers from boulevard trees or park trees. As the homeowner, you are responsible for pipes within your property, house, and blockage caused by roots from trees within your property or anything that has been flushed.

What to do if you have a sewer backup.

If you notice a non-urgent issue with your sewer, please contact us through Fort Report. A City employee will be in contact within 48 hours.

How is the sewer treated?

Wastewater and sewage is treated by the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission.

Does the City have an RV Sani Dump?

Yes the city has a no charge RV Sanitation Dump and Water Station.

The RV Sani Dump Station is located at 11125 88 Ave, near the Public Works Shop.

The RV Dump is open all year, although potable water is only available during spring and summer months

Routine Sewer Cleaning

The City does a high pressure flushing and cleaning of all sewers twice every five years to clear sewer lines of debris, and to prevent backups, overflows, noxious odours and reduced capacity. However, there are some areas that require more frequent cleaning because of fats, oils and grease poured or flushed into the system. Generally, sewers are inspected the following year to monitor conditions.

Sewer cleaning involves using a hyro-vac truck equipped with a special nozzle, a high pressure hose and a high power vacuum. Debris is flushed from the sewer main, trapped in the vacuum and removed from the system.

Normally the process goes unnoticed. However, people have reported hearing strange noises at home and water gurgling in the toilets. This is nothing to worry about. It’s simply air pressure built up in the line trying to escape. To prevent this, work crews will vent the sewer main and use the lowest amount of pressure needed to clean the line. Homeowners are encouraged to take the following precautions: Keep toilet seat lids down and open plumbing vents to allow air pressure to escape.

Sewer Cleaning Map (July 5-19, 2021)

View our Sewer Bylaw

Water Quality

With recent news stories about lead in water, here is the information you need to know about water quality in Fort Saskatchewan:

  • Our water quality meets all standards for healthy drinking water including the new more restrictive standards for lead.
  • Our water is supplied to us by EPCOR from a treatment plant in Edmonton using the North Saskatchewan River as the source. View EPCOR's Water Quality Reports.
  • We have never found, and have no records of, any lead pipes within our distribution system that supplies water to your home or businesses.
  • The City monitors water quality for chlorine and bacteria and conducts yearly testing, which includes testing for lead as set out in the Code of Practice for a waterworks system. These tests are audited by Alberta Health and Alberta Environment.
  • Since EPCOR supplies water to a very large area within the capital region, they are looking at changing the treatment process for all water it supplies, to make the water less able to absorb lead.

Steps for Homeowners*

Residents who think their homes may have a lead service pipe can check by following these 3-steps:

Step 1: Find your water service inlet

The inlet pipe is where the water line comes into the building, usually in a basement utility room, sometimes hidden in a cabinet or under the stairs. Your water meter and shut-off are typically located here.

Step 2: Check the pipe colour

Check the colour of the pipe coming out of the ground and into the meter. You may have to lightly sand the surface of the pipe. If the pipe is:

  • The colour of a Canadian penny: It's copper.
  • Bright blue or black: It's likely plastic tubing (polyethylene). Important: Don't attempt to test the hardness of your pipe if you suspect it's plastic.
  • Grey: It's galvanized iron or lead.

Step 3: Check the pipe hardness

If you think your water service line could be lead, try gently etching into the pipe. Lead is relatively soft metal and scratches easily. Do not attempt this if you think the line could be plastic.

While this checklist is a good indicator of whether your pipes are lead, please note that every pipe is a little different. A professional plumber can assist in determining if your internal plumbing contains lead.

*Information provided by EPCOR.

Additional information

Health Canada - Drinking Water: what about lead?

 
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