Important Information
Municipal Sewage Lift Stations and Power Outages
- Details
Municipal sewage systems often use a network of lift stations (also called pump stations) to move wastewater from lower elevations to higher ground or directly to treatment plants. These stations rely on continuous electrical power to run the pumps. When a power outage occurs, the pumps stop, the flow of sewage is interrupted, and the system’s reserve capacity quickly fills up, posing a risk of sewage backups into streets, basements, and local waterways.
The Core Problem During an Outage
While essential services like hospitals may have backup generators, most standard municipal lift stations may only have high-level alarms to indicate a problem, not automatic backup power.
- Limited Capacity: The storage capacity within the system is usually minimal.
- Rapid Filling: Continued water use by the public quickly overwhelms the station.
Immediate Public Action Required
To prevent property damage and public health hazards, residents must immediately and significantly reduce water use the moment the power goes out, and until it is fully restored.
- Stop doing laundry and using the dishwasher.
- Minimize showering and bathing.
- Limit toilet flushing to essential solid waste only.
- Do not pour liquids down any drains or toilets.
- Avoid flushing non-toilet paper items (wipes, grease, etc.) at all times, but especially during an outage, as these can cause significant clogs.
- After Power is Restored
- Continue conservation for an hour or so to allow the system time to pump down the accumulated wastewater.
- High-level alarms (red lights) may continue to flash after power is restored; this is normal as the pumps work to clear the backlog.
- If a basement backup occurs, avoid the area and contact a professional restoration service immediately. All residents should have a property-installed and maintained backflow prevention device installed on their system to prevent any sewer from entering the property. When your backflow prevention device is closed, stopping the back-up of wastewater, conservation efforts are still needed. Any internal water flow at that time will remain in the internal piping and can create its own backup within the dwelling. Essentially, flooding yourself.
Reporting & Resources
Public Works inquiries call 902-798-8391 Ext 125 or email
To report the power outage itself, contact your electricity provider directly:
- Nova Scotia Power Outage Reporting at 1-877-428-6004.
Water Main Break Information
- Details
Why do they happen? Main breaks happen due to various reasons and are a normal part of operations in any water utility. Temperature changes or overly dry or wet weather can cause the ground to shift. This results in breaks to the main water pipes. The age of the main or sudden fluctuations in the pressure may also cause a break.
How long will the repair be? Repairing a main water line typically takes time; therefore, it is difficult to provide an estimated time when service will be restored. There are several factors in the time it takes to fix a broken line: Size of the Line: Larger lines may take more time to replace. Type of Break: Pipe shears, pipe split, or complete blowouts. These repairs each have a different repair process. Location: If the line is buried deep or in a hard-to-reach area, it may take longer. Soil Conditions: Rocky or compacted soil can slow down the excavation process. Frost can be very hard to dig through as well. Weather Conditions: Adverse weather can delay work.
Why is my water discoloured? Although the water can appear discoloured in these situations, it is still safe for use/consumption. The discoloration is generally caused by high velocities and reversed flows scouring iron deposits, which gives it the brownish/red colour. Despite the colour and possible presence of particulates, our water still meets the Canadian drinking water standards, including proper disinfection.
Why is my water milky after the water main break? “Milky” or cloudy water is caused by tiny bubbles of air in the water. These bubbles do not make the water unsafe to drink and will rise to the top of a glass of water if you let the water sit for a few minutes. Air can enter the pipes when a water main break is being repaired.
How long should I run water after a water main break? Flush Your Pipes - After the water main is repaired, open all fixtures and allow water to run until it is clear. Start by opening the cold-water faucets and allowing them to run for at least 1 minute after they run clear.
Please note that a water main break can cause the whole utility to have discoloration, which can take hours to subside. If Hydrants are used for Firefighting, this too can cause discolorations in the system due to the volume of water being drawn, creating pressure fluctuations, and stirring up the water.
