In this section

Where does our water come from?

Sylvan Lake benefits from naturally good quality water, which comes from a well system. We chlorinate, but no other purification or additives are needed
 

Your Town of Sylvan Lake Water System

Commonly Asked Questions

  • Wastewater is the water that flows out of our sewer pipes into the Town's wastewater system
  • Our wastewater system is connected to the Red Deer Regional Wastewater System
  • Our wastewater is piped to the Red Deer Treatment Plant

  • The stormwater system is separate from the drinking water and waste water systems
  • Stormwater is all the water that flows over the ground and down the storm drains in the street
  • Storm drains empty into the stormwater collection system, which ends up directly in the environment, specifically Sylvan Lake, Cygnet Lake, and Cygnet Creek
  • Storm water is not treated before it is released, so please don't dump chemicals into the storm drains

Your wastewater (sanitary/sewer system)

  • Wastewater is the water that flows out of our sewer pipes into the Town's wastewater system
  • Our wastewater system is connected to the Red Deer Regional Wastewater System
  • Our wastewater is piped to the Red Deer Treatment Plant

Sewer system clog made of unflushables

Clogs  

  • GROSS! This is an actual sewer clog in the Sylvan Lake sewer system  

  • Unflushables cause clogs   

  • Clogs cause sewer system repairs and sewer backups in your home  

  • Only flush poo, pee and toilet paper  

  • Clog brochure 

Ok to flush poo, pee, and toilet paper
  • Clogs are expensive to remove  

  • Sewer system clogs: your utility bill dollars pay for their removal. The more clogs we remove, the more utility bills go up to cover those costs  

  • Clogs inside your home: are your responsibility. You must pay for their removal and damages caused by sewer backups  

  • Preventing clogs is much cheaper  

  • Only flush poo, pee and toilet paper  

  • Despite what manufacturers say, their flushable products are NOT flushable
  • These unflushables create clogs because they don’t break down. Put them in your garbage:
    • Wipes (toilet, baby, beauty, cleaning). They are not flushable despite what manufacturers say
    • Grease
    • Plastics
    • Dental floss
    • Hair
    • Kleenex
    • Paper towels
    • Condoms
    • Tampons
  • Medications are unflushable:
    • Medication: Return old medications to a pharmacy. Wastewater treatment can’t remove them

Ok To Flush It 

  • Toilet paper 

  • Poo 

  • Pee

 

If the sewer service line gets clogged or damaged, it blocks the normal flow of water into the municipal main sewer line. And that means raw sewage can back up through your floor drain. 

Easy to read brochure

Some signs of a sewer drain block: 

  • Several plumbing fixtures are blocked or drain slowly 

  • The toilet plugs easily or makes gurgling noises when flushing 

  • The washing machine doesn’t drain or backs up into the toilet or bathtub 


Prevent costly sewer blockages: 

  • Don’t pour fats or oils down the drain as they can harden and block drains 

  • Don’t flush anything that’s not toilet paper, poo, or pee (including anything that says flushable like wipes, as they are not actually flushable) 

  • Use your garbage disposal correctly. Always run water before and after to wash food waste down the drain 

  • Backwater valves / back flow prevention devices are one way valves that prevent sewer water from flowing back into your home if there is a backup in the municipal main sewer line. A plumber can install one if your home does not already have one. Check your valve regularly to make sure it is in good working order 


What else can cause a sewer back up? 

  • Flushing unflushables 

  • Tree roots from trees planted on property 

  • Municipal main sewer line back up 


What if your sewer backs up? 

  • Call Public Works: 403 887 2800 

  • Town staff will check the municipal main sewer lines to ensure they are not backing up, and provide you with a sewer back up sheet with more information 

Easy to read brochure


Having a problem with a sewer backup? 

If you have a sewer backup, call the Public Works Division at 403 887 2800 to report it 24/7. In the event of a sewer backup, Public Works inspects the municipal main sewer line in front of your property.

There may be a problem with the: 

  • Municipal main sewer line 

  • Sewer service line running from your building to the main sewer line (this cannot be detected from above ground) 

Who is responsible for sewer backups?  

  • The residential property owner is responsible for the sewer service line on the private property and the plumbing inside of the home 

  • The municipality is responsible for the sewer service service line between the property line and the municipal main sewer line in the street 

Steps to seek compensation 

Residential property owners are responsible for the sewer service line inside their own property. However, should you (homeowner/occupant) seek compensation from the Town for a sewer backup you must: 

  • Hire a plumbing contractor to complete a power flush, and a video inspection

  • Have the plumbing contractor mark the sewer service line by using line locate equipment:

    • Clearly mark the entire service line with spray-paint, from the building to the municipal main sewer line 

    • Clearly mark the location of any trouble spots on both private and public property 

    • Take photos of all the spray painted markings once complete 

  • Get a copy of the video and email, online transfer, or deliver to the Municipal Operations Building (1 Industrial Drive) 

  • Public Works staff then review your video to find the cause of the backup and follow up accordingly 

  • These requirements ensure a proper assessment can be completed. If you don’t provide this information, any claims for damages from the Town may be denied 

If the cause is inside your property  

  • When the cause is in the part of sewer service line within your property 

  • The costs related to the power flush, video, and repair are the responsibility of the building owner or occupant(s) 

  • For example, tree roots or flushing unflushables such as grease 

If the cause is outside your property 

  • When the cause is in the part of the sewer service line between your property line and the main line 

  • The Town compensates the owner/occupant for the costs of the power flush and video inspection 

  • The Town handles repairs 

If the cause is inside AND outside your property 

  • When damage is found to be on both private and public portions of the sewer service line  

  • The Town will repair the Town's portion of the sewer service line

  • The residential property owner is responsible for the repair of the sewer service line on private property

 
Was your property damaged by a sewer backup? 

  • Sewer backups are an insurable risk
  • If damage to your premises has occurred as a result of the backup, contact your insurance provider for assistance

The Town of Sylvan Lake does not accept septic sewage at our receiving station.

For all septic disposal arrangements, please contact the Sylvan Lake Regional Wastewater Commission directly:

Lacombe County Office: 403-782-8959
After Hours: 587-876-0024

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Like residents, all businesses must take care of their wastewater. The Town of Sylvan Lake monitors wastewater from businesses with a source control program.

All wastewater that enters the sewer must meet standards set by the Town of Sylvan Lake, Sylvan Lake Regional Wastewater Commission and the City of Red Deer.  

Contaminants in wastewater from residential homes or businesses can cause serious harm to:

  • The Town of Sylvan Lake's wastewater system
  • The staff responsible for maintaining the lines 
  • The wastewater pipeline to Red Deer
  • The City of Red Deer wastewater treatment plant
  • The environment

  
What kind of contaminants can cause damage?

  • Fat(s), oil, and grease (FOG)
  • Heavy metals such as mercury, silver, copper, tin and zinc
  • High levels of acidity or alkalinity, heavy metals, oil, grease and other petroleum products
  • Sugar and alcohol, solids that easily turn into sludge, low pH levels, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and total suspended solids
  • Other industry specific contaminants

Learn more about the business source control program.

Once a year the Town maintains the sewer main lines. The maintenance makes sure that:

  • The sewer lines are clean and free of any material that could cause sewer backups or blockages
  • Our wastewater continues to flow to the Red Deer Regional Wastewater System

When do we do sewer line maintenance?

  • Sewer line maintenance/cleaning occurs annually
  • Maintenance is weather dependent

Why do I notice bubbling and gurgling in my toilet?

  • Town sewer main lines are cleaned by using a combination vacuum truck
  • The truck uses a strong jet to clean rocks, dirt, roots and debris from the sewer mains while vacuuming at the same time
  • Most residents won’t notice anything, but some (about 2%)may hear gurgling noises or have bubbling toilets
  • The gurgling/bubbling is usually caused by the combination of:
    • The cleaning process pushes air out of the sewer main line and into the sewer service line. This can displace the water from your toilet
    • Inadequate venting of a home’s plumbing system, possibly caused by the vent stack being plugged: 
      • Frosting over in winter, bird nest, vent shingled over top of, too many bends in the plumbing, or a sag in the service line and/or sewer main line

How should I prepare?

  • For the duration of the program keep the lid closed on your toilets
  • If your floor drain is accessible, remove any items near by
  • Remember, the sewer lines in your home are not maintained by the Town. Protect your home by regularly maintaining your backflow prevention device and by preventing clogs before they happen

Shouldn’t my backflow preventer stop toilet gurgles from happening?

  • No, since back flow prevention devices are only activated by liquids, not air

I smell sewer now in my house, what do I do?

  • Make sure all your p-traps have water in them
  • The water blocks sewer odours from entering your home
  • Fill your p-traps by pouring water down your floor drains and sinks

Get notified when sewer maintenance starts

 Your stormwater system

  • The stormwater system is separate from the drinking water and waste water systems
  • Stormwater is all the water that flows over the ground and down the storm drains in the street
  • Storm drains empty into the stormwater collection system, which ends up directly in the environment, specifically Sylvan Lake, Cygnet Lake, and Cygnet Creek
  • Storm water is not treated before it is released, so please don't dump chemicals into the storm drains

Sanitary and stormwater drainage is managed in two different systems: sanitary, and stormwater. 

The sanitary system 

  • Also known as our sewer system 

  • Collects wastewater from fixtures in buildings such as toilets, showers, sinks, and washing machines 

  • Wastewater lagoons used to treat the wastewater from our sanitary system 

  • We outgrew our old wastewater lagoons, so now we pipe our wastewater to the Red Deer Treatment Plant 

  • For now, building a pipeline to the Red Deer treatment Plant is much cheaper than building our own plant 

  • We pay for the plant to treat our wastewater; the Town does not control these rates  

  • In 2021, the pipeline sent 1,462,782.39 m3 of our wastewater/sewer water to the Red Deer Treatment Plant 

 
The stormwater collection system 

  • Collects water that comes from precipitation, including rainwater, meltwater from hail or snow, and ground water 

  • The water can come from eavestroughs, foundation drains, lawns, and it flows into storm drains on the street

  • Does not treat water, but flows straight into the environment, specifically: Sylvan Lake, Cygnet Lake and Cygnet Creek 

How can you help protect your community’s most precious asset (Hint: the lake)? 

Don’t let chemicals go down stormwater drains: 

  • Fix vehicle oil leaks  

  • Don’t wash your vehicles in your yard or on the street 

  • Don’t pour anything on the ground or down storm drains. Save unused chemicals, paint, etc for the annual (and free) Toxic Waste Roundup 

 
Keep your costs down  

Sanitary sewer systems are not designed to handle excess stormwater. Plus, it is expensive to send wastewater for treatment at the Red Deer Treatment Plant, so don’t direct stormwater into your home’s drains.  

  • Do not connect your sump pump, downspout or any other stormwater connection to your home’s wastewater drains 

  • Direct downspouts or sump pump hoses to areas of your yard that prefer lots of water 

  • Maintain and repair broken, leaky, or problem sections of your property's sewer service lines. This also helps prevent sewer backup; 

  • Cover your outdoor pools in the fall and winter; 

  • Do not drain your pool, or any large basin of water, during a rain event 

  • Avoid planting trees near sewer service lines - roots are often invasive and may damage sewer pipes

The stormwater system is separate from the drinking water and sewer systems:

  • Stormwater is not treated before it is released. The storm drains empty into the stormwater collection system, which ends up directly in the environment, specifically:
  • Sylvan Lake, Cygnet Lake and Cygnet Creek


Protect the Lake

  • How can you help protect your community’s most precious asset (Hint: the lake)?
  • Don’t let chemicals go down the drain:
  • Fix vehicle oil leaks
  • Don’t wash your vehicles in your yard or on the street
  • Don’t pour anything on the ground or down storm drains
  • Save unused chemicals, paint, etc for the annual (and free) Toxic Waste Roundup

Why do we need a storm water system?

Storm water moves faster through urban areas

  • The ponds slow down and store the water to reduce the likelihood of flooding

  • Our stormwater ponds were made to collect and retain storm water from rain and snow melt

  • They were designed to protect our homes and community from flooding

  • Urban areas have lots of hard surfaces can't absorb water, like asphalt, concrete, and buildings

Dry ponds 

  • Dry ponds store water during major rain or flooding events
  • The Town often uses dry ponds for recreation activities, such as the Our Lady of the Rosary soccer field
  • During a major rain event the pond could fill with water quickly
  • Stay out of the pond during major rain

Wet ponds

  • Wet ponds add beauty and nature habitat to our communities, but contain hidden dangers
  • Like any body of water, they are a drowning risk, especially for small children
  • The water is untreated and contains everything that has runoff from our streets and yards
  • Dangerous contaminants could include:
    • Herbicides applied to lawns
    • Pesticides
    • Leaked car oil or gas
    • Cat and dog feces
  • The bottom could have thick sediment and be easy to get stuck in
  • Water may continue to flow into and out of the wet ponds in winter
    • Ice thickness can vary
    • Water depth under the ice can vary
    • These ponds are clearly marked as unsafe
    • Do not make homemade rinks on wet ponds, use a maintained rink (rinks only show on this map in the winter)

Stormwater is not treated and flows into Sylvan Lake, Cygnet Lake and Cygnet Creek. Pets abandoned here end up in the lake.

The lake water is tested weekly from the May long weekend until the September long weekend.

  • Alberta Health Services (AHS) collects samples and test for harmful bacteria and algae:
    •  Enterococcus bacteria and microcystin toxins (blue green algae)
  • Alberta Health Services (AHS) will alert the public right away if the tests show there is a potential danger to those using the lake

    Your drinking water system

Our water comes from wells fed by mountain runoff

  • Snow, rain, sleet and hail fill the Paskapoo formation with water
  • Our wells draw water out of aquifers in the Paskapoo formation
  • Since we don’t control precipitation, we have no direct control over how much water ends up in our wells


It costs a lot of money to obtain, treat, and deliver our water.

  • The more water we must treat each year, the more it costs to treat
  • Wasteful water practices increase these costs for everyone’s utility bill, not just the person wasting water
  • Saving water means lower costs
  • Since the cost of everything is increasing, every little bit helps to keep bills down

Water is a limited resource

How do we make sure that we have enough water for years to come? By not wasting water!

Conserve water, and reduce your water bill with one of these Town Rebate Programs: 

Water-saving tips 

  • Find and fix leaks
  • Take shorter showers. Cutting your shower time by one to two minutes can save 2,600 L of water/month 
  • Plant drought-resistant trees/plants that require less water 
  • Seasonally, check all your taps, pipes, and toilets for leaks 
  • Rethink your irrigation system. Consider installing drip irrigation, and/or water only in the early AM or late PM to ensure the water is absorbed into the ground, rather than evaporated 
  • Did we mention you should check your toilet regularly for leaks? 
  • Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, washing your face/hands, or rinsing food; you can save 12 L/minute 
  • Wait until you have a full load of dishes/laundry before running the machine 
  • Hand water, or collect rainwater with a rain barrel to water plants 
  • Replace older appliances/fixtures with water efficient ones (low-flush toilets, low flow faucets, etc.) 

Let's all do our part, and use water wisely. 

  • ALL homes watering ban everyday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM 

  • All homes, anytime: Turn off your water if it is running into the street or sewer system. Watering further only wastes money and water

  • Odd numbered homes: water lawn, garden, or yard ONLY on odd numbered days

  • Even numbered homes: water lawn, garden, or yard ONLY on even numbered days

  • Hand watering: Any home may water by hand with a water jug on any day of the week, any time of day 

  • New sod or seed: water on any day of the week, any time of day

  • Download a pdf announcement of the new water conservation rules

Alberta is experiencing drought
“Alberta is currently in water shortage management stage 4 (out of 5), where multiple water management areas are impacted by water shortage. Alberta’s government is monitoring conditions and working closely with water users and local governments to help manage and conserve water where possible” (From the Government of Alberta, www.alberta.ca/drought).

   

What is the Town of Sylvan Lake doing?
The Town of Sylvan Lake received a letter from the Government of Alberta requesting action
(www.alberta.ca/drought-what-government-is-doing). In response, the Town of Sylvan Lake added for 2024:

  • Two months to the annual mandatory water conservation
  • Two hours in the morning everyday
  • Fines for not following mandatory water conservation rules:
    • First offence: $1,000
    • Second offence: $1,000

Does the Town have water conservation rules to follow?

  • Yes! 
  • The Town has a policy that outlines different levels of droughts, and what water services to conserve at each level
  • Did you know that we ask both Lakers and Town staff to conserve water? Staff plan for water saving measures in new projects
  • For example, the used water from the spray park is stored in a retention pond
  • To irrigate Pogadl Park’s ball diamonds, staff use up the retention pond water before using fresh drinking water

Lower your water bill and conserve water with  beautiful low water plants! Download the plant list in a printable brochure.

Low-water Groundcovers

  • Bearberry, kinnikinnick
  • Creeping phlox
  • Hens and chicks
  • Lamb’s Ear
  • Maiden Pinks
  • Mother of thyme
  • Potentilla
  • Pussytoes
  • Snow in summer
  • Yarrow

Lawn Alternatives

  • Blue grama grass
  • Phlox
  • Sheep fescue
  • Blue fescue
  • Woolly thyme
  • Clover

Perennials

  • Bergenia
  • Blue Flax
  • Golden Margeurite
  • Globe Thistle
  • Johnny-jump-up
  • Lilac
  • Poppies
  • Purple Cone Flower: Echinacea spp.
  • Salvia
  • Showy Fleabane
  • Silver brocade artemisia
  • Stonecrop
  • Tall Blue Lungwort
  • Wooly Speedwell
  • Alpine Aster 
  • Bearded Iris
  • Black-eyed Susan 
  • Bluebird Clematis
  • Hens and Chicks
  • Iceland Poppy 
  • Peony

Deciduous Trees

  • Amur maple: Acer ginnala
  • Aspen poplar: Populus tremuloides
  • Balsam poplar: Populus balsamifera
  • Manitoba maple: Acer negundo
  • Mayday: Prunus padus

Vines

  • Bittersweet: Celastrus scandens
  • Clematis: Clematis alpina
  • Honeysuckle vine: Lonicera x brownii
  • Morning glory: Ipomoea spp.
  • Purple peavine: Lathyrus venosus

Shrubs

  • Canadian Buffaloberry
  • Cinquefoil
  • Chokecherry
  • Golden Current
  • Honeysuckle
  • Juniper
  • Lilac
  • Pincherry
  • Saskatoon berry
  • Snowberry
  • Western Sandcherry
  • Prunus besseyi
  • Wild rose
  • Wolf willows 

Native Grasses

  • Awned Wheatgrass
  • Big Bluestem
  • Blue Grama
  • Canada Wild Rye
  • Common Reed Grass

Has your water consumption has gone up unexpectedly?

  • Upgraded water meters can help you troubleshoot leaks. Don’t have one yet? Call us: 403 887 2800 
  • Consider whether your household’s water use has changed 
  • Check inside and outside for leaks 
  • Leaks from pipes, plumbing fixtures and fittings are a significant source of water waste for many households 
  • Research shows a typical home can lose 7.6 m3 to 76 m3 of water per year due to leaks. Some leaks are obvious, such as dripping faucets and leaking water heaters 
  • Leaks can go undetected for years because the source of the leak is not visible 

Faucet leak?  

Toilet leak? 

  • Toilets are a common source of water leakage 
  • Try this simple test to figure out if you have a toilet leak 
  • Drop a dye tablet or food colouring into your toilet tank 
  • Wait 5 to 15 minutes 
  • If the dye appears in your toilet bowl, the toilet has a leak 

Save money, prevent leaks 

Maintaining your home’s appliances and plumbing is important to prevent a costly leak. The Town of Sylvan Lake is not responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, or repair of your home's plumbing/water consumption. 

How much money can leaks cost? 

Small toilet leak 

  • Volume lost: 240 L/day, (7 m3/month) 
  • Monthly cost: $23.15 

Medium toilet leak 

  • Volume lost: 500 - 2,400 L/day, (15 - 72 m3/month) 
  • Monthly cost: $49.50 - $253.44 

Large toilet leak (flapper wide open) 

  • Volume lost: 24,000 L/day, (720 m3/month) 
  • Monthly cost: $2,605.68  

These videos address regularly asked questions about utilities - specifically water, within the Town of Sylvan Lake. 

 

Your utility bill is calculated using the actual water volume that is recorded by your water meter.   

  • Actual meter reads are done monthly (starting in August, 2019)
  • Previously, actual meter reads were done every other month. Between actual reads, your consumption rate was based on an estimate that reflects the home’s consumption (use) history. If our estimation was higher or lower than the actual read, the amount due the following month was adjusted 
  • Actual meter reads are accurate 

What happens when water meters fail?  

  • Water consumption depends on many factors including occupancy of the home, and the time of year; faulty water meters are very rarely the cause of fluctuation 
  • Faulty water meters slow down over time, record less consumption, and eventually can stop and record no consumption at all. Meter failures cannot result in an increased charge.  
  • Water meters do not speed up, over record, and then go back to normal 

What causes an increase of water consumption? 

  • Leaky toilet 
  • Leaky faucets 
  • Appliances that rely on water such as water softeners, humidifiers, or air conditioners 
  • Irrigation systems 
  • Seasonal watering of gardens/yard 
  • Use of water for backyard ice rinks, or pools 
  • Guests, or an increased occupancy in the home 
  • Increased use of shower/tub, or longer showers 
  • Increased business, or longer hours of operation 

How do I prevent a high bill caused by wasteful leaks and usage?  

  • Maintain all appliances and plumbing in your home  
  • The Town of Sylvan Lake is not responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, or repair of your home's plumbing/water consumption

Do we have good water?

  • Alberta Environment and Parks classified our 7 wells as high quality ground water
  • This classification means that our water comes from an underground aquifer and must be monitored for safety
  • Water quality standards are set by Health Canada and Alberta Environment and Parks
  • The Town makes sure our water quality meets standards by monitoring the water system daily, weekly, monthly and annually
  • We monitor treated water before it enters the distribution system, and at random locations throughout the distribution system
  • 2024 Water Analysis Report updated annual around October

How hard is our water?

  • Our water has a hardness level between 184 - 317 mg/L
  • Hardness level changes depending on the area of Town
  • Edmonton hardness level: 185 mg/L

What makes our water hard?

  • Hardness levels differ between communities based on where the water comes from
  • Our water comes from wells fed by underground aquifers. These aquifers run through naturally occurring sedimentary rock and limestone, and it is the stone formations that create water hardness

Considering installing a water softener?

  • How you set up your water softener depends on what part of town you live in
  • Our Water Analysis Report identifies water hardness, mineral content and more in our water
    • Different areas of Sylvan Lake have different types of minerals and hardness  
    • For north of 47 Avenue, use the lower zone column on the report 
    • For south of 47 Avenue, please refer to the upper zone column on the report 

Water treatment

  • We disinfect our water with chlorine to kill bacteria in the reservoir and water mains
  • Chlorine residual is how much chlorine is left after bacteria is killed
  • Our chlorine residual is less than many other cities:
    • Red Deer: 2.00 - 2.24 mg/L
    • Edmonton Chlorine: 1.75 - 2.15 mg/L
    • Sylvan Lake: 0.90 - 1.25 mg/L
    • Residual data from Oct - Nov 2021

Regular testing

  • Our water system operators sample and test water regularly. Some of the things we test for include:
    • Turbidity: if the water is cloudy, and why it is cloudy. It can indicate if water is polluted by things like silt, microorganisms, or other dissolved materials.
    • pH: how acidic or basic the water is. pH can tell us how easy it is for materials to dissolve in the water. Those materials can be good for us or can hurt us. pH helps us figure out how easy it is for those materials to be absorbed by living things. pH also can tell us how well our water treatment chemicals are working. pH is monitored 24 hours a day.
    • Bacteria: we look for bugs that can make us sick, such as E. coli and other bacteria
  • We watch the test results carefully so we know that our treatment and distribution processes are working to keep residents safe

Yearly Testing

  • Every year, we take a potable water analysis sample
  • We send the sample to an International Standard Organization (ISO) Laboratory
  • This test tells us what materials are in your water
  • It makes sure that our water is within the ranges set by Health Canada and Alberta Environment

Every spring and summer the Town of Sylvan Lake does maintenance on our water distribution system. Part of that maintenance includes water main flushing: 

  • We close water valves to isolate sections of each water mainline and flush water through fire hydrants 
  • The flushed water drains onto streets and flows into the storm drains 

What happens during the flushing? 

  • Flushing does not stop your water service  
  • It may reduce water pressure 
  • It may change the water colour temporarily, but the water is still safe to drink. We monitor our water to make sure it meets safety standards 
  • If you get discoloured water, run a cold water tap for a few minutes to clear

Our program is part of Alberta Environment and Park’s (AEP) Lead Management initiative. AEP now requires municipalities to have a Lead Management Program:  

Phase 1, 2020 – 2024 

  • Planning, Assessment and Implementation (2020 – 2024). Phase 1 looks for lead in our water system and tells us if lead is concern 
  • Phase one of the Town’s Lead Management Program ran from 2020 – 2021 and is now complete. 

Phase 2, 2025 and onward 

  • Fix problems(mitigation) 

Our Lead Management Program 

  • Used an education campaign to teach residents about lead in drinking water  
  • Looked at the history of our water system. We did not find evidence that any lead water lines were used in Sylvan Lake 
  • Tested our water system assessment at a variety of locations 
  • Asked residents to volunteer for lead testing at their taps. Tap water testing can catch lead contamination coming from the water pipes and fixtures inside older homes 
  • Tested 62 homes. We tested homes with a variety of ages and in different subdivisions 
  • Out of all 62 homes, only 3 failed the lead test. The three that failed were homes with seasonal residents. After the residents learned how to reduce the lead by flushing the lines, all three homes passed a lead test 

Does our water have lead in it? 

  • Our water meets or is below the levels set by federal and provincial standards (water maximum allowable concentration parameters)link to below info 

How do we watch for lead? 

  • We test water for lead regularly and at many points in our water system 
  • How do we do this and how often??? 

Is there lead in our water?  

  • Sylvan Lake’s drinking water is virtually lead free 
  • Our water is classified as High-Quality Drinking Water by the Province of Alberta 

Where could lead in our water come from? 

  • Lead rarely occurs naturally in water. Lead usually gets into the water from municipal water system pipes and plumbing in the home 
  • Lead pipes may have been installed in some residential and non-residential properties until 1975 
  • Lead solder on plumbing fixtures was common until 1986 
  • Typically, lead service connections are found in older homes built before the early 1960s 

Can lead make us sick? 

What happens if we find lead?  

  • From Town systems: If we find a lead service line that the Town is responsible for, we create a program to remove the lead service line 
  • From private buildings: If lead is coming from within the owner’s property and area of responsibility, the Town cannot fix it for you. We recommend hiring a professional that can give you options to get rid of the lead 

Who is responsible for lead pipes and fittings?  

The Municipal Government Act says that: 

  • The residential property owner is responsible for the water service connection on the private property and the plumbing inside of the home 
  • The municipality is responsible for the service connection pipes between the property line and the water main in the street.  

How to Identify if you have Lead Pipes in your Home 

  1. Locate the water meter (usually found in the basement) 
  1. Look at the pipe coming up through the basement floor into the bottom of the water meter 
  1. A lead pipe is grey and does not echo if you gently strike it; lead pipes scratch easily, leaves metallic marks when you rub the scratched area against paper, and a magnet will not stick to it 
  1. Watch this video or follow these steps 
  1. We recommend hiring a professional that can give you options to get rid of the lead 

Water Safety Standards 

  • The Town meets water safety standards set by the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada.  
  • In March 2019, Health Canada published a new lead limit for the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. The new guideline for lead changes how lead has been managed in drinking water since 1992, namely:  
  • The maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) for lead was lowered to 5 μg/L (part per billion (ppb)) from 10 ug/L (part per billion (ppb)) 
  • Five parts of lead per billion in water is like five drops of lead in one billion drops of water or about five drops of water in a swimming pool  

Lead management program data FOIP 

  • The program collects data to figure out if there are residents in Sylvan Lake who are exposed to lead levels above the maximum levels 
  • The personal information you provide is being collected under the authority of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, Potable Water Regulation 16(1) for the sole purpose of conducting the waterworks system lead survey of tap water 
  • Tap water sample results and addresses are disclosed to Alberta Environment and Parks, as part of required reporting under this program. Your personal information is not shared further unless you consent. By providing your tap water sample and personal information, you are consenting to this collection, use and disclosure 

Wells within the Town must be decommissioned to keep our water supply safe.

  • When two water source lines are going into a home, there is a possibility for the well water to enter the municipal water system
  • The well line may have greater pressure, which could push untreated and untested water back into the public water supply
  • Alberta Environment (Water Act and Water (Ministerial) Regulation Act Section 8) requires any home near municipal water lines to connect to the municipal water supply
  • Bylaws cannot override Provincial acts and regulations, so the Town must follow provincial legislation

Enforcement

  • Within town, over 150 private wells exist 
  • Decommissioning these wells is a priority
  • No new homes may be built with wells
  • Existing wells within the Town must be decommissioned
  • When individuals, companies, or municipalities fail to comply with the provincial laws, the Town must enforce the laws
  • Owners who don’t follow the legislation may receive fines anywhere from $500 to $8,500

I have a well, what are my next steps?